The queues are already underway at Wimbledon as the grand slam tennis tournament returns today at full capacity for the first time in three years.
The 2022 championship marks the first time the grounds have been filled with up to 42,000 people every day since before the coronavirus outbreak.
Some spectators have camped since Friday to be at the front of the famous queue, where thousands wait patiently to buy tickets at the door in hopes of seeing some of the world’s biggest sports stars.
It comes after the tournament was canceled in 2020 and then continued in 2021, but only with a 50% audience capacity.
In a faithful representation of the event’s return, rain threatens to halt the game as the Met Office has forecast showers on SW19 between 11am and 1pm today – though the skies would otherwise remain mostly clear.
Novak Djokovic will begin defending his title in 2021, while Rafael Nadal will make his return to the sacred turf after having not played at Wimbledon since 2019.
Eyes will also be on British player Emma Raducanu after she made history last summer as the first qualifier to win the US Open – and 23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams returning as a wild card.
Both active British Grand Slam champions – Raducanu and Sir Andrew Murray – will play their first round matches on center court on Monday.
The tenth seed Raducanu is feeding a side stock while Sir Andy, who has not yet been seeded, battles a tummy tuck.
Queues are already underway at Wimbledon as the grand slam tennis tournament returns today at full capacity for the first time in three years
The 2022 championship marks the first time the grounds have been filled with up to 42,000 people each day since before the coronavirus pandemic
Spectators from all over the world camped overnight and queued in the morning to buy tickets at the door in hopes of seeing some of the world’s biggest sports stars
It comes after the tournament was canceled in 2020 and then continued in 2021, but only with a 50% audience capacity
Early morning queues at Wimbledon campground on Day 1 of the 2022 Championship. Cally queuing from Atlanta with her ticket
This year, Wimbledon has banned Russian and Belarusian players in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
World number one men Daniil Medvedev and number five women Aryna Sabalenka are among those to be suspended.
The decision has had serious consequences, with the ATP and WTA deciding to withhold ranking points from the tournament.
The organizers have also announced a record prize pool for this summer’s tournament, with the two singles champions taking home £2million.
The total prize pool of £40.35 million is an 11.1% increase from the 2021 Championships, where capacity was reduced for Covid reasons, and 5.4% higher than the last regular tournament in 2019.
Elsewhere, the squash brand Robinsons and Wimbledon have ended their sponsorship partnership after 86 years – one of the longest-running deals in the sport since its inception in 1935.
The Championship also marks the centenary of the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s move to the Church Road site in 1922.
British hopes for Wimbledon are high after an encouraging draw for the home players.
Remarkably, of the 17 British representatives in the men’s and women’s singles, not one drew a seeded player in the first round.
In addition to Raducanu and Sir Andy, there are other Britons playing at Wimbledon this year, including Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Heather Watson, Harriet Darta, Katie Swan and Jodie Burrage.
British players Jay Clarke, Paul Jubb, Dan Evans, Cameron Norrie, Jack Draper, Alastair Gray and Liam Broady will be in action at the start of the week for the men’s draw.
Mixed weather conditions are forecast for the two-week period, which is likely to be mostly dry with sunny spells interspersed with a few showers and winds.
Marco Petagna, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: “The first half of the week is expected to be a lot of clear dry weather with a small chance of showers.
“It is really the second half of the week that there is a greater chance of a shower breaking out.
“Temperatures will generally be around the average, so peaks of 21C.”
Mr Petagna said the second week could see more stable weather, although confidence in the long-term forecast is lower.
He said: “The trend is for things to calm down a bit as we move into July, so a greater chance of more stable weather in that second week and possibly a little warmer as well.”