Inside Wimbledon’s best-kept secret: £20 (R435) tickets
· The South African
Wimbledon’s Qualifying Competition delivered drama on and off the court last week, with finals concluding on Thursday after four days of searing heat, transport disruption, a power outage and packed stands at Roehampton.
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The event unfolded during a week in which the weather dominated UK headlines.
This time, however, it was not the usual “rain stopped play” that caused concern.
Heat warnings
Extreme heat warnings were issued as temperatures climbed well above 35 degrees Celsius, with Tuesday bringing record-breaking June heat and play interrupted for more than an hour by a power outage affecting the electronic line-calling system.
The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office issued public health warnings, while train cancellations added to the challenge for spectators travelling across London.
Yet even a national health warning and widespread travel disruption were not enough to deter Wimbledon’s most devoted tennis fans.
Tickets sold out soon after going online in early June, and the limited on-site daily allocation was quickly snapped up by determined fans who had queued from early morning.
Around the grounds of the Community Sports Centre in Roehampton, capacity crowds embraced the familiar English garden-party atmosphere, albeit one that felt far more tropical than usual for this time of year.
Wimbledon-like setting
Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam to stage its qualifying competition away from the main tournament site.
Roehampton, just over three miles from Wimbledon, offers a quieter but unmistakably Wimbledon-like setting. The grass courts are prepared by Wimbledon’s grounds team to the same exacting standard – 8mm in height and made up of 100% perennial ryegrass, while the signage, staff, infrastructure and even the strawberries are overseen by the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
For fans unable to secure tickets for The Championships, qualifying offers an affordable and immersive alternative.
A ticket costs just £20 (R435), with play running from 11:00 until dusk across the week before the main draw.
Spectators can watch professional tennis from close range, often just metres from the baseline, with the same strawberries and Pimm’s helping to recreate the full Wimbledon experience at a fraction of the price.
Held from 22 to 25 June, the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles qualifying draws give players on the ATP and WTA tours one final route into the Wimbledon main draw.
Those ranked outside the automatic entry cut-off must win three matches to earn one of the coveted qualifying places.
Grand Slam champions in action
There is even a possibility of watching a former Grand Slam champion close up. This year was no exception as two former champions had to come through qualifying.
US Open champion in 2019, Bianca Andreescu, was among the headline names at Roehampton. The Canadian came through all three rounds, sealing her place in the Wimbledon main draw with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich. It marks Andreescu’s first Grand Slam main-draw appearance since the 2024 US Open.
British fans also had the chance to watch Heather Watson, the 2016 Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, attempt to fight her way through.
Watson took the opening set against Maria Timofeeva in the final round but was ultimately beaten 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 as the top seed mounted a strong comeback.
The defeat was an emotional one for Watson, who had been backed by a vocal home crowd throughout the week.
Erika Andreeva, sister of Roland Garros 2026 champion Mirra Andreeva, was another notable presence in the draw. Sadly, she was unable to mirror her sibling’s success, falling in the second round to the USA’s Kayla Day 6-2, 6-2.
There was also disappointment for two former Wimbledon quarter-finalists.
Lulu Sun, who reached the last eight in 2024, was edged out by France’s Oceane Dodin 7-6, 7-6, while Bernard Tomic, a quarter-finalist in 2011, lost to fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell 6-4, 6-4.
David Goffin, a two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist and former world No 7, was denied a farewell appearance in the main draw after losing in the first round to Italy’s Andrea Guerrieri 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
The Belgian, a six-time ATP title winner, announced at Roland Garros that this would be his final season.
The full list of players who have qualified for the main draw is available on the Wimbledon website.
Worth a diary reminder
For those looking ahead to next year, Wimbledon Qualifying is well worth a diary reminder.
The event offers the chance to see future main-draw storylines before they unfold, and while no qualifier has yet gone on to win Wimbledon, tennis has already shown us that such fairytales are possible.
Emma Raducanu made history at the 2021 US Open when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The deepest singles runs by Wimbledon qualifiers remain the semi-final appearances of John McEnroe in 1977, Alexandra Stevenson in 1999 and Vladimir Voltchkov in 2000.
Perhaps 2026 will be the year a qualifier goes all the way at Wimbledon. If this week in Roehampton proved anything, it is that anything can happen.
The Championships, Wimbledon started on Monday 29 June 2026.
Amisha Savani is reporting exclusively from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon for The South African