Wimbledon: More than 10,000 people queue for tournament’s first day

The sight of thousands of people queuing in the hope of gaining entry to the grounds is one of the most celebrated quirks of Wimbledon, a tournament renowned for its strong ties to tradition.

While the influence of technology increases in sport, with this the first Championships without the presence of line judges, the sense of community and camaraderie apparent in the queue continues to not only endure, but thrive.

Despite long waits – those at the front of the queue arrived as early as noon on Friday to claim their spot – and soaring temperatures before the first day of action at SW19, there are few grumbles of discontent with the process as more than 10,000 people arrived at Wimbledon Park before the first day of play.

“It’s just nice to be able to take time out of everything else. It’s like being in a parallel universe,” says Vicki Broad, from Neath in Wales, who along with husband Nigel are first in this year’s queue.

“We’ve met people from all over the world, just chatting away and getting to know people.

“It’s a community of people, all with a common goal. There are never any problems in the queue, the stewards run it so well.

“You know, the world’s crazy at the moment. But it’s like you take time out from that and you’re all just talking about tennis, you’re talking about where you come from, how long it took you to get here, how long you’re staying for, it’s just lovely.”