The first day of Wimbledon has been plagued by fan frustration after huge queues formed outside the gates at SW19.
Those without tickets were at the grounds as early as Sunday to give themselves the best possible chance of being in when play started on Monday morning, but things have not gone smoothly for spectators. And there has been an angry reaction to a statement from the All England Tennis Club that tried to explain potential delays on Monday afternoon.
"Our Grounds are set to be at capacity today, which means those already in the queue will be waiting several hours for admission," it read. "We advise people intending to queue today not to travel to Wimbledon."
The post prompted a volatile reaction from those who had been stuck outside, with even those who had tickets arguing they'd been denied viewing time: "No they’re not (at capacity)," replied @kazzafletch on Twitter. "You’re not letting anyone in from the queue! Been here since 3:45am and still not in!"
@beckydeeming1 ranted: "What a joke your queue system is, you need to refund people you’ve sold Court 2 tickets to in the queue who are missing the first match and now might miss the second match despite being here super early and would normally be in by 10:30. Give discounts when we pay at the cash desk"
@peterscarsdale asked: "How can it be at capacity if no one is getting in? We’ve all been stuck here since 5am. Others earlier," while @Mariafaguirre said she was "beyond disappointed," after her parents travelled from Colombia in the hope of watching Wimbledon for the first time.
The prospect of mass queues outside could be further enhanced tomorrow, with Andy Murray what could potentially be his last Wimbledon campaign against fellow British player Ryan Penniston. And home spectators are likely to turn out in their droves to support the two-time champion.
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The sport's most famous Grand Slam tournament could do without any adverse publicity given the controversy that clouded the famous fortnight in 2022. The All England Tennis Club opted to ban Russian and Belarusian players amid the war on Ukraine, a move which prompted sanctions from authorities.
The tournament was stripped of ranking points, a move which exacerbated the leading players. But organisers have backtracked on the regulation this time around, allowing players from both countries to compete.
