All-white outfits, lush green courts, strawberries and cream, and glittering champions’ trophies at the end of two weeks.
Players and fans are gearing up for a fortnight of much-awaited tennis action as the Wimbledon Championships 2025 get under way on Monday.
From top players to unique quirks, here’s what you need to know about the tournament:
When is Wimbledon 2025 starting, and when are the finals?
The main round of the championships begins on Monday, June 30 with the men’s and women’s singles first-round matches. Here are the key dates for the men’s and women’s singles matches at the Grand Slam:
- First to fourth round: June 30 to July 7
- Quarterfinals: July 8 and 9
- Women’s singles semifinals: July 10
- Men’s singles semifinals: July 11
- Women’s singles final: July 12
- Men’s singles final: July 13
Where is Wimbledon played, and what’s SW19?
The third and the oldest tennis Grand Slam of the year, and the only one played on grass, attracts thousands of visitors to its famed courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Club (AELTC) in the southwest of London, the United Kingdom.
The venue is also known as SW19, shortened from its postcode of SW19 5AG.
During the two weeks of the tournament’s main rounds, the town is bathed in the purple and green colours of the event, with shops, cafes and restaurants sporting tennis-themed decorations.
Who are the favourites to win Wimbledon 2025?
Carlos Alcaraz: The two-time champion is favourite to defend his title after winning this year’s French Open, as well as Queen’s Club Championship, a pre-Wimbledon tournament in London considered a dress rehearsal for the Slam.
Jannik Sinner: The world number one has yet to grab the Wimbledon trophy, but his rise through the rankings in the past two years and wins at two of the last three Slams make him Alcaraz’s main contemporary.
Aryna Sabalenka: The world number one may not have played a Wimbledon final yet, but has dominated the women’s rankings since October 2024 and has played in the finals of the last three Grand Slams. She won the Australian and US Open in 2024 and after losing in Roland-Garros, the Belarusian will be looking to add Wimbledon to her list of majors titles.
Marketa Vondrousova: The most in-form grass-court player and 2023 Wimbledon champion has made a swift rise in the women’s rankings over the past few weeks. Vondrusova won the Berlin Open, where she beat the likes of Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and Madison Keys to the title. While the Czech player’s 2023 Wimbledon triumph may have been a surprise, the 25-year-old will be the one to watch in 2025.
Marketa Vondrousova beat Ons Jabeur to win Wimbledon in 2023 [File: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters]
Who are the top seeds?
Men’s:
- Jannik Sinner
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Alexander Zverev
- Jack Draper
- Taylor Fritz
- Novak Djokovic
- Lorenzo Musetti
- Holger Rune
- Daniil Medvedev
- Ben Shelton
Women’s:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Coco Gauff
- Jessica Pegula
- Jasmine Paolini
- Qinwen Zheng
- Madison Keys
- Mirra Andreeva
- Iga Swiatek
- Paula Badosa
- Emma Navarro
Is there a dress code for players and spectators at Wimbledon?
Yes. All players must be dressed in white – not off-white or cream – when they step on the court for their matches. Not only should the clothes and shoes be all white, but any caps, headbands and wristbands by a player can also only be white in colour. Male players’ undergarments must also be entirely white. The organisers are more tolerant of colourful attire on practice courts.
While there is no strict dress code for the spectators, they are encouraged to dress smartly while attending matches on the Centre Court or Court Number One.
For those invited to watch a match from the Royal Box, a smart dress attire is mandatory.
The championship is often considered an unofficial fashion showpiece, especially when celebrities and dignitaries frequent the courts on the last few days.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, left, is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and attended the 2024 men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, alongside her daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Matthews, while British actor Benedict Cumberbatch was also seated in the Royal Box [File: Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports via Reuters]
What’s new at Wimbledon 2025?
The tournament has joined the Australian Open and US Open in replacing on-court line judges with a live electronic calling system.
Organisers say its 80 former officials will be employed this year as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire, while they will also provide backup should the electronic system fail.
What is ‘strawberries and cream’ and why is Wimbledon famous for it?
In stark contrast to the various fast food items consumed at sports stadiums around the world, Wimbledon offers its attendees a unique delicacy: strawberries and cream.
True to its name, the SW19 specialty is nothing more than juicy red British strawberries dipped in fresh cream, but the treat’s distinct combination and mass consumption year after year has made it a Wimbledon novelty.
According to the organisers, at least 7,000 litres (1,850 gallons) of cream and 28,000kg (62,000lb) of strawberries – grown specially for the tournament at a farm in Kent – are consumed during the fortnight of the championship.
Strawberries and cream are a mass-selling item at the Wimbledon tennis championship [File: Julian Finney/Getty Images]
Who has won the most Wimbledon titles?
Czech-American tennis great Martina Navratilova has won the women’s singles title on nine occasions and has an astonishing overall 20 Wimbledon titles to her name, including seven women’s and four mixed doubles from 1976 to 2003.
Switzerland’s Roger Federer, often regarded as the greatest men’s grass-court player, has won eight Wimbledon titles between 2003 and 2017.
Martina Navratilova acknowledges the crowd at Wimbledon in 2019 [File: Susan Mullane/USA Today Sports via Reuters]
How to buy tickets or join the queue for Wimbledon 2025?
The Wimbledon public ballot, held in the closing months of the preceding year, is the fans’ first and easiest means of buying tickets for the following year’s championship.
Failing that, fans have the opportunity to buy tickets on the day for the two weeks of the tournament by joining the famous Wimbledon queue.
Starting from the metal gates of the AELTC grounds, the queue snakes around Church Road and well into the public parks opposite the venue.
Fans begin queuing from late evening for the following day’s entry, which can bring them tickets for one of the main show courts or simply entry to the tournament’s premises. Tents are pitched, snacks and drinks are shared, and the long hours waiting for a chance to enter the venue are spent following the scores online or by snoozing while in queue.
“Tickets are sold on a best available, one per person queuing basis and are non-transferable,” according to the organisers, and once the capacity limit is reached, entry is only possible as people leave.
People relax as they queue in tents at a public park opposite the grounds of Wimbledon ahead of the competition during the 2024 championship [File: Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
How much is the prize money for Wimbledon 2025?
The tournament’s prize money has increased by seven percent to a record pot of $72.6m in a bid to ease off pressure from the players for a bigger share of Grand Slam profits.
The winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles will each receive $4.08m, an increase of more than 11 percent on 2024, while a main draw spot is worth a minimum of $89,683, up 10 percent.
How to follow and live stream Wimbledon 2025?
The tournament will be aired to over 220 territories around the world via satellite, terrestrial and digital broadcasters.
Al Jazeera Sport will cover the men’s and women’s singles finals with its comprehensive live text and photo commentary stream.
One day closer 😏#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/0fyL0ntM0p
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 24, 2025
