Wimbledon 2021: Why it's farewell to the famous queue

Wimbledon’s famous queue will not operate for this summer’s Championships, the All England Club has confirmed.
Spectators queue to enter the All England Tennis Club on the first day of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.Spectators queue to enter the All England Tennis Club on the first day of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
Spectators queue to enter the All England Tennis Club on the first day of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

The snake of people and tents in Wimbledon Park has become one of the defining sights of the event as tennis fans camp out overnight to secure access to the show courts, but coronavirus restrictions mean tickets will be distributed differently this year.

There will also be no reselling of tickets within the grounds, and a Wimbledon statement read: “Both the queue and ticket resale remain much-loved and important Wimbledon traditions and we look forward to their return in 2022.”

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Organisers are working on the basis a reduced number of fans will be allowed into the grounds but are trying to be as flexible as possible to accommodate whatever the social distancing requirements are in June and July.

The snake of people and tents in Wimbledon Park has become one of the defining sights of the event as tennis fans camp out overnight to secure access to the show courts. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty ImagesThe snake of people and tents in Wimbledon Park has become one of the defining sights of the event as tennis fans camp out overnight to secure access to the show courts. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
The snake of people and tents in Wimbledon Park has become one of the defining sights of the event as tennis fans camp out overnight to secure access to the show courts. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Everyone who secured tickets through the public ballot for the 2020 tournament, which had to be cancelled, will be given the opportunity to purchase the same tickets for this summer.

Wimbledon then anticipates an online platform for general ticket sales opening in June.

It had already been revealed that players, their support teams and officials would be required to stay in official hotels rather than private houses, while the invitation doubles events for former greats will not be held.

The Championships at Wimbledon were cancelled last summer for the first time since World War II because of the coronavirus pandemic. The other Grand Slam tennis tournaments – the French Open, the US Open and the Australian Open – have all taken place.

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