Tents, tickets and a trio of stars: Wimbledon returns as thousands of fans camp outside in queue to watch Djokovic, Sinner and Sabalenka in action on opening day at SW19

Published: 08:13, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 08:23, 29 June 2026 Thousands of fans have joined the famous Wimbledon queue ahead of the tournament getting underway today. More than 8,000 fans were reportedly in the queue by 6am this morning to buy tickets for the first day of The Championships. But some hopefuls will have been disappointed by the news that British No.1 Emma Raducanu has been forced to withdraw after a leg injury was revealed to be a stress fracture. Raducanu, the 30th seed, had been scheduled to play Croatian Antonia Ruzic on Court One. Pictures from the queue at Wimbledon showed bleary-eyed fans emerging from their tents, wrapping up in blankets and even shaving. Some have queued for days to secure tickets, including one fan who joined the queue at 7.30am on Saturday to make sure she could watch her favourite player, Novak Djokovic. Florence Chan, from Hong Kong, once paid $500 (£378) to watch the 39-year-old Serb at the US Open and came to Wimbledon this year with friends she made in the queue at last year's Championships. Djokovic, who is vying to win his first SW19 title since 2022, is expected on Centre Court after 4pm today for his tie with China's Wu Yibing. A camper peered out from her tent in the queue at Wimbledon this morning as The Championships were set to get underway One man took the opportunity to shave in the midst of the campsite as Wimbledon prepared to return for 2026 But British No.1 Emma Raducanu was forced to withdraw from the tournament after a leg injury worsened to become a stress fracture Another spectator rested their eyes on the SW19 grass as more than 8,000 hopefuls queued for tickets Some wrapped themselves in blankets as temperatures dropped after last week's record-breaking temperatures There were rows of tents lined up in south west London for the queue, which The All England Lawn Tennis Club said was 'an iconic part of The Championships' 'It's very impressive how grand it is. It's like nowhere else,' Ms Chan told the Mirror of Wimbledon's charm. The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which hosts the tournament, said the queue was 'an iconic part of The Championships'. In its 'guide to queueing', the club said the institution 'symbolises a sense of community and camaraderie'. There are 500 Centre Court, Court One and Court Two tickets on sale each day across the tournament for those in the queue, excluding the final four days for the main arena. Those in the queue can also secure a 'grounds pass', which offers general access to all courts and Henman Hill, the grassy mound where lounging fans, often with picnics, can watch show court matches on a large screen. While queueing continues, it will be policed by a 24-hour team of staff and stewards, who woke campers at 6am this morning to pack their tents and form a line. Lucky fans who secure tickets to Centre Court will be able to watch defending champion and top seed Jannik Sinner open his title defence against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic at 1.30pm. The Italian, 24, will hope for a strong Wimbledon run after a shock second round exit last month at Roland Garros to Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo ended a 30-match winning streak.  A Wimbledon queue hopeful draped himself in a blanket among the village of tents in SW19 There are 500 tickets available for those in the queue today to access the show courts - Centre Court, Court One and Court Two Staff and stewards woke campers at 6am this morning, when they had to pack up their sleeping arrangements and form a line Those lucky enough to secure a Centre Court ticket will see both world No.1s, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, in action before the return of seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic Sinner, 24, won Wimbledon for the first time last year after beating Carlos Alcaraz, who has withdrawn from this year's tournament with a wrist injury That match will be followed on Centre Court by top female seed Aryna Sabalenka's first round tie against Teodora Kostovic. Sabalenka, a four-time major champion, is among the Wimbledon hopefuls limiting their media appearances to 15 minutes at the tournament to protest the prize money on offer at Grand Slams. Sinner and American Coco Gauff are also part of a group which has called for the major tournaments to give a greater share of their revenue to prize money, alongside a greater contribution to benefits including pensions and maternity leave. Wimbledon increased its overall prize money by 20 per cent this year - the largest annual increase in the tournament's history - to a total prize fund of £64.2million. One player who will not claim any prize money is Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew from The Championships as he continued to suffer from a right wrist injury. British interest in Wimbledon suffered a blow after Raducanu's withdrawal. Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th, is in action on Court Two this afternoon against Michael Zheng of the US. The British No.1, 30, withdrew following an injury at the French Open and was beaten in two sets by Sinner at an exhibition match last week in west London. Roland Garros champion Alexander Zverev, who won his first major in Paris, is in action tomorrow, as is 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, who will return to SW19 as a wildcard. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.