LOOK MA, WE MADE IT….TO WIMBLEDON

 

We returned home sated, another check on the bucket list.  Ever grateful. We were at Wimbledon, enjoying Pimm’s cups and strawberries & cream.

As you may recall from our Wimbledon: Making It Happen post, we had procured one ticket.  It was for Day 1 of The Championships.  So to get an additional ticket for the day, we went through the infamous queue. All our research told us to get there early.  But none of it prepared us for the biggest queue ever or the check-in/security issues that plagued AELTC on the first days of the championships.

We arrived at 5:30 am.  We ended up taking an Uber because the tube didn’t start until 5:27 am, which would have gotten us there lined up in the queue by 6:50 am.  That additional time would have made a huge difference in the queue position.  At 5:30, we were #2784 & 2785; by 6:30 we would have been near 4500.

There were people at the front of the line that camped out in little tents.  People were standing, sitting relaxing, and sleeping on the grass.  Blankets, picnic baskets, and wine abound.  There were also food and coffee trucks lined around the park.  These people were veterans of the queue, but none anticipated how long it would be this day.  We finally walked through the gates at 1:30 pm…8 HOURS LATER! I did not sit the entire time.  I was in my tennis whites and wanted to step through those gates sharp and clean.  😊  Once through the gates all the exhaustion and frustration melted away.  It was time for pictures.  Then a Pimm’s Cup and a sausage roll for some sustenance to start shopping.  

Finally made it to the seats on No. 1 Court.  The seat was three rows from the top of the stadium, but it was still a great sight line for the Ruud vs Lokoli match. After we made our way to Centenary Garden and went upstairs to the seafood restaurant with views overlooking the outer courts.  By the time we finished the strawberries & cream and some rose wine, we were nodding off in the booth.  The exhaustion was making a comeback.  It was time to head back to the hotel on the tube.  We were missing Venus’ and Coco’s matches but couldn’t keep our eyes open.

We were able to get another day at Wimbledon through the public ballot return.  To have an additional day there, waking up at a decent time, and not having to stand in the queue…Yes for the win!  We wandered around more and took in more of the grounds.  Took seats on center court, soaking it all in got lost in thought.  Was it a dream?  I’m at Center Court Wimbledon. I felt so close to the court.  (at the U.S. Open, I’m usually way up in the promenade section) I was struck by the size of Center Court in comparison to Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Open.  It doesn’t have the upper promenade section that Ashe does.  Then the Econ 101 of it clicked in.  The specialness, the exclusivity of it all, and limited seating on the show courts make for the higher ticket prices.  It’s a simple law of supply and demand.

Because I can’t sit still, I watched parts of Carlos Alcaraz’s match and then the resumption of the Andy Murray vs.  Stefanos Tsisipas match.  It was a spectacular day of sunshine, tennis, and Pimm’s cups.  I see why it’s the National drink. Some may argue Gin & Tonic.  It’s definitely the drink of summer.

Wimbledon did not disappoint. Even with the exhausting queue waiting.  It was worth the almost two years it took to make it happen.  With this experience and the knowledge, we gathered over that time, this doesn’t have to be once in a lifetime.

Wimbledon 2024!  What do you think?