Since 1887, a town in the Southwest corner of London has been the spiritual home of Tennis, hosting a world-famous tournament decorated with a rich history and boasting an endless highlights reel.
Wimbledon is back for its 136th edition at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where the (strawberries and) cream of the crop will battle it out to etch their names in the history books, claiming their slice of Tennis royalty in front of thousands of spectators.
The prestigious and unique Wimbledon atmosphere elevates it from the other Tennis tournaments on the calendar. It remains the sole Grand Slam tournament still played on a grass court, allows fans to purchase tickets on the day, sees players donned head-to-toe in white and regularly witnesses royal appearances.
Taking place over two weeks, the 2023 Wimbledon tournament will celebrate the future while honoring its iconic history as part of the ‘Always Like Never Before’ campaign.
Novak Djokovic will be looking to add another title to his illustrious career total and secure a third consecutive Wimbledon win, his eighth overall and his fifth in six years, while Elena Rybakina secured her first central singles title in 2022 by winning the women’s final, and will be hoping to create more history for her home nation of Kazakhstan at this year’s tournament.
Pour yourself a glass of Pimms, dig out your finest white apparel and take a perch on Henman Hill. Center court is ready. Here is everything that tennis fans need to know ahead of Wimbledon 2023.
A brief history of Wimbledon
On 9 June 1877, Wimbledon’s first shots were played in history. Advertised as a ‘lawn tennis meeting, open to all amateurs,’ the high-profile and illustrious tournament witnessed today vastly differed from the 19th century.
Played at Worple Road, competitors were asked to bring their racquets, and just 200 people watched the first men’s final between Spencer Gore and Willian Marshall. Gore won in straight sets, with The Morning Post reporting the following morning that “the play on both sides was of the highest order, and its exhibition afforded a great treat to lovers of the game. All three sets were won by Mr. Gore, who, therefore, became lawn tennis champion in 1877 and won the £12 12s. Gold prize and holds the silver challenge cup, value £25 5s.”
Having previously banned women from competing in 1884, the All England Club agreed to open the Championships up to both sexes, and The Lady’s Singles was added to the program. By the 1900s, the Championships had become an international affair – and since then, it has become one of the most prestigious events on the summer sporting calendar.
Now considered the world’s premier tournament, a long-term plan hatched in 1993 witnessed the quality and infrastructure of the match elevate it to new heights. Aimed at improving the standard of the event for spectators, players, and officials, a new broadcast center was erected, two different grass courts were built, and a new Millennium building providing extensive facilities was constructed. The final stage of the rejuvenation plan saw an entrance building, club staff housing, museum, bank and ticket office created.
Now, Wimbledon reports healthy profits year-on-year, with organizers revealing an operating profit of £47.1 million in 2022, with a prize pot of almost £45 million, showcasing the event’s undeniable grandeur.
When is Wimbledon taking place this year?
This year’s tournament begins on Monday, 3 July 2023, and runs to Sunday, 16 July 2023. It’ll be played as last year without the traditional rest day, known as middle Sunday. Play on the outside courts starts at 11 am daily and begins on the Show Courts between 1 pm and 1:30 pm.
The women’s singles final takes place on Saturday, 15 July, with the men’s singles final to last the following day. See the full schedule for the championship below.
Monday 3 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles First Round
Tuesday 4 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles First Round
Wednesday, 5 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Second Round
Men’s and Women’s Doubles First Round
Thursday, 6 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Second Round
Men’s and Women’s Doubles First Round
Friday 7 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Third Round
Men’s and Women’s Doubles Second Round
Mixed Doubles First Round
Saturday 8 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Third Round
Men’s and Women’s Doubles Second Round
Mixed Doubles First Round
Boys’ and Girls’ Singles First Round
Sunday 9 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Fourth Round
Men’s and Women’s Doubles Third Round
Mixed Doubles Second Round
Boys’ and Girls’ Singles First Round
Monday 10 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Fourth Round
Men’s and Women’s Doubles Third Round
Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals
Girls’ Singles Second Round
Boys’ Doubles First Round
Tuesday 11 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
Men’s and Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
Mixed Doubles Semi-finals
Boys’ Singles Second Round
Girls’ Doubles First Round
Invitation Doubles
Wednesday 12 July
Men’s and Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
Men’s and Women’s Doubles Quarter-finals
Men’s, Women’s & Quad Wheelchair Singles Quarter-finals
Boys’ & Girls’ Singles Third Round
Boys’ & Girls’ Doubles Second Round
Invitation Doubles
Thursday 13 July
Women’s Singles Semi-finals
Men’s Doubles Semi-finals
Mixed Doubles Final
Men’s, Women’s & Quad Wheelchair Doubles Semi-finals
Boys’ & Girls’ Singles Quarter-finals
Boys’ & Girls’ Doubles Quarter-finals
Boys’ and Girls’ 14&U Singles
Invitation Doubles
Friday 14 July
Men’s Singles Semi-finals
Ladies’ Doubles Semi-finals
Gentlemen’s, Ladies’ & Quad Wheelchair Singles Semi-finals
Boys’ & Girls’ Singles Semi-finals
Boys’ & Girls’ Doubles Semi-finals
Boys’ and Girls’ 14&U Singles
Invitation Doubles
Saturday 15 July
Women’s Singles Final
Men’s Doubles Final
Women’s Wheelchair Singles Final
Men’s Wheelchair Doubles Final
Quad Wheelchair Doubles Final
Girls’ Singles Final
Girls’ Doubles Final
Boys’ Doubles Final
Boys’ and Girls’ 14&U Singles
Sunday 16 July
Men’s Singles Final
Women’s Doubles Final
Men’s & Quad Wheelchair Singles Final
Women’s Wheelchair Doubles Final
Boys’ Singles Final
Boys’ & Girls’ 14&U Singles Finals
Invitation Doubles
Who is competing at Wimbledon 2023?
Wimbledon has always attracted a broad mix of players ranging from multiple-time Grand Slam champions to unknown wild cards.
The top-ranked players automatically enter to play the main draw with 32 seeds announced before it to ensure they do not meet in the early rounds. From the 2021 Championships, seedings for the men’s and ladies’ singles are based on world rankings.
Djokovic is currently ranked number one in the world in the men’s category after claiming a 23rd Grand Slam title in June at the French Open, with the Serbian the favorite to defend his title on center court and add his seventh Wimbledon title to his unrivaled haul.
Casper Ruud, the Norwegian defeated by Djokovic in France, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, and the highly entertaining Nick Kyrgios are three to watch. At the same time, Russian Daniil Medvedev is the third favorite with bookmakers.
Medvedev was banned from participating in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”
Italian player Jannik Sinner and American Taylor Fritz are another two to watch, while Cameron Norrie will fly the host country’s flag. The Brit reached the semi-final in 2022, losing out to Novak Djokovic despite claiming a comprehensive first-set win. Two-time winners Andy Murray, Daniel Evans, and Liam Broady will be on the court.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek will aim to improve on her previous best showing at Wimbledon drastically. The current world number one reached the fourth round in 2021, but the defending French and U.S. Open champion is much better equipped to go all the way this time.
Current Women’s holder Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka – another who missed out on last year’s tournament following the banning of Belarus players – are both in contention. At the same time, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia is also highly fancied. She was the runner-up in the 2022 women’s final, tasting defeat despite winning the first set 6-3, marking the first time a player came from a set down in the final since 2006.
British starlet Emma Radacanu, who shot to fame when she unprecedentedly won the U.S. Open in 2021, will be missing due to her ongoing recovery from hand and ankle surgery.
Top-ranked players – Men
1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2 Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
3 Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
4 Casper Ruud (Norway)
5 Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
6 Holger Rune (Denmark)
7 Andrey Rublev (Russia)
8 Taylor Fritz (U.S.)
9 Jannik Sinner (Italy)
10 Frances Tiafoe (U.S.)
Top-ranked players – Women
1 Iga Swiatek (Poland)
2 Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
3 Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)
4 Caroline Garcia (France)
5 Jessica Pegula (U.S.)
6 Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
7 Coco Gauff (U.S.)
8 Maria Sakkari (Greece)
9 Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic)
10 Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil)
How to get tickets for Wimbledon 2023
Ballot tickets are all sold out for 2023, but on the day, sales via the Queue are always an option, with up to 500 premium seats available for each show on center court. If you’d like to ballot for 2024 tickets, it’s worth getting ahead of the game: entry opens in September.
For more information and to sign up to ballot for 2024 tickets, visit wimbledon.com
How to watch Wimbledon 2023
If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to grab a ticket for the championship, then fear not. There are multiple ways to keep up to speed with the action on the court.
Here are some of the ways you can watch the action on center court at Wimbledon 2023 from the comfort of your own home:
- BBC Broadcast – Wimbledon will be broadcast in full in the U.K. by the BBC. You can also watch the championship online on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. There will also be radio commentary on five live and five live sports extra.
- Amazon – Amazon has had the live-streaming rights of Wimbledon for five years. If you don’t already have an Amazon Prime account, you can sign up for a 30-day FREE trial.
- Wimbledon 2023 App – The Official App for The Championships will stream live from the All England Lawn Tennis Club. You can find live real-time scores, watch a daily show from the grounds, and get live updates on all the action.
- ESPN – For tennis fans in America, you can watch the 2023 Wimbledon Championship on ESPN. You can access the channel via live T.V. streaming services, including Sling T.V., Hulu + Live T.V., YouTube T.V., and Fubo TV.
