How does the Wimbledon Championships Public Ballot work?

Every year, the Wimbledon Tickets Public Ballot is held by the AELTC. One of the cheapest ways of getting tickets to the Championships, the Ballot is always oversubscribed.  So how does the Ballot work and what are the odds of getting a ticket?

The History of the Public Ballot

First held in 1924, the Wimbledon Public Ballot was conceived as the fairest way of allocating tickets to the general public. There is also an Overseas Ballot for non-UK residents.

The Public Ballot was a postal registration process until 2019. Since 2020, Ballot applications are made online.

Most of the seats for Centre Court, No.1 Court , No.2 Court and No.3 Court are included in the Wimbledon Ticket Ballot.

Read more: How Many Courts does Wimbledon Have? What's the difference?

How are Wimbledon Ballot Tickets assigned?

The Ballot is a lottery in which seats are allocated randomly to successful applicants. It is not possible to request a specific day or court. Ticket allocations are limited to two tickets per successful applicant.

What are the odds of winning a ticket in the Wimbledon Public Ballot? 

The Ballot is always significantly oversubscribed - the chances of winning are slim.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) does not disclose the number of applications if receives annually. It is generally estimated, however, that your chances of winning the Wimbledon Public Ballot are about 1 in 10.  Certainly worth a go and it costs nothing to try.

How much to Public Ballot Tickets Cost?

Tickets obtained through the Public Ballot and the Wimbledon Queue are the cheapest available for the Show Courts.

Tickets range from £46 per person on for a Day 1 ticket on No.3 Court, to £240 per person for a finals ticket in Centre Court.

See also: Complete Wimbledon Championships 2022 Ticket Pricelist

When will I find out if my application has been successful?

Successful applicants are usually informed in February of the Championship year. Applicants can accept or reject the tickets. Payment for accepted tickets must be made within a specified time period. If tickets are declined, or if payment is not received within the required time frame, these tickets are re-balloted.

Are there any conditions or restrictions?

Tickets obtained through the ballot are subject to restrictions and cannot be gifted, transferred, sold or advertised for sale.

Any tickets that breach these restrictions will be void, and the ticket holder will be denied entry into the Grounds.

For more information see: What are the Wimbledon Championships' conditions of entry?

Will there be a Ballot for the 2022 Tournament?

No. The AELTC cancelled the 2020 Championships on 1st April 2020 and refunded all payments that it had received. The AELTC decided not to hold a ballot for the 2021 Championships. Instead, the Club gave first refusal to those who were successful in the ballot for the cancelled 2020 championships.

As a result of continued health and safety concerns, capacity was reduced in the 2021 Championships. It was not possible to offer seats to successful applicants in the 2020 ballot, so the AELTC decided to rollover first refusal to the 2020 ballot successful applicants for a further year.

Any applicant who paid their 2020 ballot tickets will be given the opportunity to purchase tickets for the same day and court for The Championships 2022

The next Wimbledon Ballot will take place for the 2023 Championships. Applicants must register their interest by 31 December 2022 online. Successful applicants will be notified from February 2023 onwards.

Read: When is the 2022 Wimbledon ticket ballot?

Secure your place at the 2024 Championships now

We currently have Wimbledon Debenture Tickets available to buy for Centre Court and No.1 Court, for every day of the 2024 Championships.

To get the ball rolling:

• Email: service@greenandpurple.com or
• Complete our: online call-back form.