Wimbledon 2026 Starts Today ! Discover Everything You Need to Know About the World’s Most Prestigious Tennis Tournament with InfoCons

Wimbledon 2026 Starts Today! Discover Everything You Need to Know About the World's Most Prestigious Tennis Tournament with InfoCons

Wimbledon 2026, the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, takes place between 29 June and 12 July 2026 on the famous grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. The only Grand Slam still played on natural grass brings together, year after year, the world's best players, millions of spectators and an entire universe of tradition, elegance and sporting emotion.

InfoCons – Consumer Protection comes to the aid of tennis lovers with a complete guide to this year's edition: the official schedule, a short history of the tournament, the list of previous champions, the record prize money, the tournament's unique traditions and practical information for everyone who wants to experience Wimbledon safely and fully informed.

1. A Short History of the Wimbledon Tournament

The story of Wimbledon began in 1877, when the All England Croquet Club – founded in 1868 on Worple Road in Wimbledon – organised the first lawn tennis championship in order to raise the funds needed to repair a lawn mower. The first tournament gathered only 22 participants, all of them club members or personally invited guests, and the final was watched by around 200 spectators.

Since then, Wimbledon has become the foremost landmark of world tennis. In 1922, the tournament moved to its current location on Church Road, home to the renowned Centre Court. Today, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam still played on natural grass, preserving its connection to its "lawn tennis" origins and an unmistakable atmosphere defined by tradition and British refinement.

Over the decades, the Wimbledon courts have crowned legendary names such as Björn Borg, Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, turning the tournament into a symbol of sporting excellence.

2. Previous Wimbledon Champions

The recent honours list of the Wimbledon singles events reflects a new generation of champions that has taken the baton from the great legends of tennis. Here are the winners of the previous editions:

Jannik Sinner made history in 2025 as the first Italian man to win the Wimbledon singles title, while Iga Świątek became the first Polish woman to claim the singles crown, after a final won against American Amanda Anisimova.

3. The 2026 Edition: Defending Champions, Favourites and Absentees

The 2026 edition of the Wimbledon Championships promises to be a spectacular one, with top favourites and a few notable absences. Italy's Jannik Sinner arrives as defending men's champion, while Poland's Iga Świątek defends the title she won in 2025 in the women's draw.

The Men's Draw

Jannik Sinner leads the list of favourites, but the tournament's biggest absentee is Carlos Alcaraz, a two-time Wimbledon champion (2023 and 2024), who misses the competition due to a wrist injury. The Spaniard's absence reopens the title race and brings to the fore a series of contenders dreaming of their first trophy on the London grass.

The Women's Draw

In the women's event, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka starts among the main favourites, alongside defending champion Iga Świątek. The top ten of the draw also includes Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff, Elina Svitolina, Linda Nosková and Karolína Muchová – an extremely balanced field that promises spectacular matches right up to the final day.

4. The Wimbledon 2026 Schedule

The qualifying rounds took place between 22 and 25 June 2026, while the main draw – with 128 players in each singles event – unfolds over two weeks. Below is the tournament's provisional schedule, as published by the organisers (the schedule is provisional and may change depending on the weather and the progress of the matches):

Daily schedule: matches on the outside courts start at 11:00 (UK time), on Court No. 1 from 13:00, and on Centre Court from 13:30. The UK is two hours behind Romania, so a match starting at 13:30 in London is shown from 15:30 in Romania.

A first for the 2026 edition: for the first time in the tournament's history, video reviews will be introduced – an innovation designed to improve the accuracy of officiating decisions.

5. The Record Prize Money of the 2026 Edition

Wimbledon 2026 offers the largest total prize fund in the tournament's history: £64.2 million, a 20% increase compared with the previous edition – the largest year-on-year rise ever recorded at this tournament.

• The singles champions (men's and women's) will each receive £3.6 million.
• The singles runners-up will each earn £1.8 million.

The substantial prize money is distributed across every stage of the competition, from qualifying to the finals, and covers all events: singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

6. The Unique Traditions of the Wimbledon Tournament

Wimbledon is not just a sporting competition, but a true cultural institution, defined by traditions strictly preserved for over a century:

• The all-white dress code: players are required to wear almost entirely white outfits, a rule unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.
• Strawberries and cream: the tournament's signature dessert, consumed by spectators in impressive quantities every edition, often accompanied by champagne.
• Natural grass: Wimbledon is the last Grand Slam played on grass, a fast surface that calls for a spectacular style of play.
• No advertising on the courts: the arena remains understated and elegant, with no visible advertising around the courts of play.
• "The Queue": thousands of fans wait in line, sometimes camping overnight, to buy tickets on the day of the matches.

7. Useful Information for Fans – InfoCons Advises You

For those who want to follow Wimbledon 2026 at the venue or from home, InfoCons – Consumer Protection recommends a few simple steps for a safe experience:

• Buy tickets only from official sources: tickets are obtained through the public Ballot, through "The Queue" or through authorised official partners. Avoid unauthorised resale platforms, where the risk of fraud and excessive prices is high.
• Check the authenticity of travel offers and tourist packages: choose licensed agencies and read the contract terms carefully before paying.
• Beware of online fraud: do not provide personal or banking details on suspicious websites that promise "guaranteed" tickets at very low prices.
• Make sure you have valid travel medical insurance if you are travelling to the United Kingdom, and check the required travel documents.
• For watching from home, choose only platforms and TV channels that hold the official broadcasting rights, in order to avoid illegal websites that may pose cybersecurity risks.

Wimbledon 2026 promises two weeks of the highest level of tennis, tradition and emotion on the London grass. Whether you are watching the matches from Centre Court or from home, InfoCons – Consumer Protection encourages you to enjoy the spectacle in an informed, safe and responsible way.

Signature: InfoCons Communication Department