LONDON – Wimbledon 2025 launched today under clear skies, high anticipation, and soaring temperatures, with 14 British players stepping onto the grass in a bold home campaign. The All England Club confirmed a record £53.5 million prize pool, up 7.1% from last year, reinforcing its status as tennis’ most prestigious stage.
Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz set to open with first game on Centre Court at 1:30 p.m. against Italy’s Fabio Fognini. Alcaraz, seeded second, is expected to push deep into the tournament following his stellar 2024 season. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s top favorite’s from Belarus, to begin her run on Court One against Canada’s Carson Branstine at 1:00 p.m. Branstine enters the main draw after upsetting former U.S. Open winner Bianca Andreescu in qualifiers.
British talent took center stage early. Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, and Cameron Norrie led a home charge, part of the 23 British players across singles draws this year the highest participation since 1984. By 11:00 a.m., homegrown players including Sonay Kartal, Oliver Tarvet, and Oliver Crawford had already started their first-round campaigns.
The grounds buzzed with excitement as over 10,000 people queued outside Wimbledon Park by mid-morning. The tournament’s famed queuing system remains a hallmark of opening day, with fans arriving as early as Friday afternoon to camp out for show court access. “There’s something special about this line. It’s the Wimbledon experience,” said one fan who had been in the queue since Sunday.
Play across all 18 courts began at 11:00 a.m., with live coverage rolling out . Afternoon highs are expected to reach 31°C in southwest London, marking one of the warmest starts in recent history.
While tradition remains intact, change continues to shape Wimbledon. The tournament no longer features human line judges on show courts. Instead, electronic line calling is now fully operational, ending a long-standing tradition. “It’s all the tradition of Wimbledon the people and the funny uniforms and that’s a bit of personality that’s gone,” said former line judge Pauline Eyre.
This year’s prize money sees significant increases across all events. The men’s and women’s singles champions will each earn £3 million. First-round singles losers will take home £66,000, a 10% boost from 2024. Winners in the wheelchair singles events will receive £68,000.
As the first day unfolds, all eyes remain on rising British stars and top-seeded contenders alike. With storylines building from Centre Court to the outer edges of the grounds, Wimbledon 2025 is off to a striking start.
