Wimbledon is the daddy of all the worldwide tennis tournaments, and it surely has to the most quintessentially British summer event ever too. While many of us are content to simply watch it on television, there’s nothing quite like experiencing the atmosphere in person.
It can be very difficult to get hold of tickets at affordable prices, and people often queue overnight in the hope of getting to see their sporting heroes play on the most prestigious courts. With the demand so high, what can you do if you have a budget of zero but still want to go along to the matches at Wimbledon?
AELTC and LTA giveaways
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), also known as the All-England Club, is the private members’ club that hosts the Wimbledon event, and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain. Both organisations hold annual ballots where people can win the opportunity to purchase advance tickets.
Very, very rarely they have also been known to give tickets away for free in competitions, so you may decide it’s worth joining or getting on their mailing lists.
Other tennis clubs and associations
Many other tennis clubs around the UK are affiliated to the AELTC, and hold ballots and prize draws which may include a small number of free tickets being given out. While the chances are fairly tiny, it’s still worth a try.
Suck up to debenture holders
Debenture holders pay many thousands of pounds for the opportunity to get regular seats at the tournament each year, and unlike everyone else they’re allowed to pass their tickets on to third parties. While most of these tickets are sold on to promoters and touts, you may be incredibly lucky and find someone who will give them away for free.
Likewise you can also try sucking up to – or being in the entourage of – celebrities, professional sportspeople, and royals.
Ask for corporate hospitality
You may get invited to Wimbledon as part of a corporate event, so drop lots of hints if there’s even the slightest possibility of attending. Your chances are best if you’re a high up member of a huge corporation, or one of their most important clients, but you could also be offered hospitality if you work for a ticket sales company.
Work at Wimbledon
There are many seasonal jobs at the Wimbledon ground that you can apply for each year. However, most of them are in corporate hospitality and are a long, long way from the on-court action. If you want to actually see some tennis then you will need to have the skills to be an umpire, ball-boy or ball-girl, steward or court attendant. There’s more information about these roles on the official website.
There may also be a few opportunities for teachers supervising school trips, St John Ambulance volunteers and friends/assistants of people with disabilities to see the tennis for free.
Win a competition
Every summer, companies offer competitions where you could win Wimbledon tickets. For example, Evian and The Evening Standard are currently offering two pairs of tickets, and Jacob’s Creek have five ‘Wimbledon experiences’ up for grabs on their facebook page.
Good luck!
{Image: Bruno Girin}
