Spectators believe the cost-of-living crisis, coronavirus and unsettled weather are to blame for a lower-than-expected turnout at Wimbledon this year. Total attendance at the Championships as it returned at full capacity for the first time in three years is down 11% so far on the last comparable year, analysis shows.
Some 114,573 fans poured into SW19 over the first three days of matches, with 36,603 on Monday, 39,450 on Tuesday and 38,520 on Wednesday. This is more than 14,000 below the equivalent figure of 128,934 in 2019, which was the last time the south-west London grand slam was open to full crowds.
Wimbledon was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and returned in 2021, but with reduced capacity. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club organisers had expected 42,000 tickets to be sold daily this year.
