Seven free and cheap Wimbledon must-dos including Centre Court hack | Tennis | Sport

Every year, tennis fans will go to Wimbledon for the first time to watch the stars in action. There might be no Emma Raducanu or Jack Draper in round one this year after both pulled out injured but there was still a busy Centre Court programme on day one with Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic in action. It can be easy to get overawed when you step into the grounds and it’s easy to miss things during your time at SW19. Even if you’ve come along before, the time can fly by and there’s every chance you didn’t have time to do everything you wanted.

The All England Club isn’t traditionally somewhere you go for a cheap day out. A pint of lager costs the best part of a tenner, bottles of champagne go up to £110 and getting your three square meals per day will set you back a fair amount. However, there are also ways to enjoy your time on the cheap – or even to get some freebies. Here, we’ve taken a look at what you can do without spending a pretty penny.

Even if you’re not able to catch the big names on the show courts, there still might be an opportunity to glimpse your favourite players in action. Fans can queue up to watch the practice courts, where familiar faces were keeping busy on Monday morning as they prepared to begin their campaign either later that day or on Tuesday.

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Don’t give up hope if you weren’t lucky enough to land a Centre Court spot before the tournament got under way. There will often be returns but there’s a reason you rarely see empty seats – that’s where the resale queue comes into play for those with a grounds pass

Simply join the queue in Parkside, take a number and then go about your business. If you’re lucky enough to get a return ticket then you have 10 minutes to get back there and it will cost you just £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Court One and Court Two.

Exact timings will change year by year but those returns tend to be processed in the early evening. It’s for a good cause, too, with proceeds going to charities and community groups thanks to the Wimbledon Foundation.

It’s important to stay hydrated in the heat and that doesn’t just mean Pimm’s and pints. Alcoholic drinks are on the expensive side but water is readily available.

You can buy an Evian reusable bottle from bars around the grounds for £5. Not only is it a souvenir of your time at Wimbledon but it also entitles you to free refills all day long, with refill stations located all around.

Anyone who wants to learn more about their tennis history can walk over to the museum inside the grounds. Entry is free for all ticket-holders during the Championships so it’s an opportunity that you might not normally be able to take advantage of.

You can get in from 10am to 10pm for the whole Championship fortnight – or 30 seconds after the close of play – so there will be a chance to take a look around before or after you take in the day’s action. There are items on display showcasing more than a century of tennis history, serving up a reminder of what this sport looked like long before the modern era.

There are a number of activations around the grounds, including one from airline Emirates. Fans have a chance to win a dream trip to the Maldives, while there are also spot prizes including branded hats and a chance to take photos against a summery backdrop in their booth – all with airline cabin crew close at hand.

IBM have worked with Wimbledon for a number of years and there’s a new AI player experience for 2026. Fans can get their photo taken and then assigned a persona thanks to IBM’s AI fan experience, with our intrepid reporter given the title of ‘the connoisseur’.

There’s also a wall of photos, so if you head down to the booth in the morning then you might well see your face on the wall in the afternoon. During the tournament, IBM is introducing a key moments element to help fans better follow matches and learn just where the tide turned.

This is one to do before heading into the grounds but that also means you can do it on a day when you’re not even heading in. Up by gate 13, some famous faces will come through the VIP and members’ entrances. When Express Sport made it up on Monday morning, plenty of those big names were willing to stop for photos and chats with fans.

Those spotted on Monday included singer Katherine Jenkins, former England footballer Graeme Le Saux and, of course, Sir Cliff Richard. No doubt there will be some other stars making their way in ahead of day two.