The Wimbledon Finals weekend is the climax of The Championships, the oldest and most prestigious tournament in tennis. The Ladies’ Singles Final is played on the second Saturday and the Gentlemen’s Singles Final on the second Sunday at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in south-west London. In 2026, the finals take place on Saturday 11 July and Sunday 12 July, with Centre Court hosting the biggest two days of the grass-court season.
What are the Wimbledon Finals?
The Wimbledon Finals are the championship matches of the men’s and women’s singles events at The Championships, the only Grand Slam tournament still played on grass. Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, alongside the Australian Open, French Open and US Open, and has been contested annually since 1877. The finals are the 128-player singles draws reduced to two, played across the best of five sets for men and best of three sets for women.
The tournament is organised by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a private members’ club that hosts The Championships on the grass courts of its grounds in Wimbledon. The men’s winner is presented with the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy, a silver-gilt cup first awarded in 1887, while the women’s winner receives the Venus Rosewater Dish, a silver salver dating from 1864. Both trophies are retained by the club, with champions receiving three-quarter-size replicas.
Wimbledon’s traditions set it apart from the other majors: strict all-white clothing rules for players, the absence of on-court advertising boards, the consumption of strawberries and cream by the crowd, and the Royal Box on Centre Court where members of the British royal family and invited guests watch the action. The tournament is also famous for its queue, where thousands of fans camp overnight for the chance to buy same-day ground passes.
When are the Wimbledon Finals 2026?
The 2026 Championships run from Monday 29 June to Sunday 12 July. The Ladies’ Singles Final is on Saturday 11 July 2026, and the Gentlemen’s Singles Final is on Sunday 12 July 2026. Both matches begin at 2:00 pm local time (BST) on Centre Court, with the roof closed only if weather intervenes.
The finals weekend also includes the Gentlemen’s Doubles Final on the Saturday and the Ladies’ Doubles Final on the Sunday, typically played on Centre Court as the second match of the day. The Mixed Doubles Final is scheduled for the middle Sunday or Thursday depending on schedule. The annual Champions’ Dinner takes place on the Sunday evening after the men’s final is completed.
Where are the Wimbledon Finals 2026?
The finals are played on Centre Court at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London SW19. Centre Court has a capacity of 14,979 and has been the main show court at the club since 1922, when it was relocated from the original Worple Road site. It received a retractable roof in 2009 and a comprehensive refurbishment completed in 2019 that increased capacity and improved sightlines while preserving the court’s green and purple livery.
The grass surface is a 100 percent perennial ryegrass blend, chosen for its durability and true bounce. The All England Club employs a dedicated grounds team who prepare and maintain the courts to exacting standards throughout the fortnight. Centre Court is reserved almost exclusively for The Championships each year, preserving the condition of the turf. The wider club grounds include 18 further championship grass courts, a museum, and the expansive queuing grounds of Wimbledon Park.
Key Contenders
The 2026 men’s draw is expected to be dominated by the same names that have shaped the sport in recent years. Jannik Sinner arrives as the defending champion, having beaten Carlos Alcaraz in a four-set 2025 final to become the first Italian to win the men’s singles title in the Open Era. Sinner, the world number one, is aiming to become the first player to successfully defend the Wimbledon title since Novak Djokovic in 2022.
Carlos Alcaraz, winner at SW19 in 2023 and 2024, remains the most natural grass-court player of his generation and is expected to be Sinner’s chief rival. Alcaraz’s all-court game, variety and speed make him a constant threat on the surface. Novak Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, will again be in the draw and can never be discounted on his favourite surface despite entering his late thirties. Jack Draper, the leading British hope, arrives with the support of the home crowd and has made steady progress in majors in the past eighteen months.
In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek is the defending champion after producing a flawless 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Amanda Anisimova in the 2025 final, a scoreline that had not been seen in a women’s Grand Slam final since 1988. Swiatek’s 2025 title was her sixth Grand Slam and her first on grass, breaking a long-held narrative that her game did not suit the surface. Aryna Sabalenka, world number one through much of 2025, will again be among the favourites alongside Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina (the 2022 champion), and Jasmine Paolini, who reached the 2024 final. Emma Raducanu carries British hopes in the women’s draw and will be seeded inside the top 32 for the first time in her career.
How to Watch
Wimbledon is broadcast globally and the finals are one of the most widely televised events in tennis. In the United Kingdom, the BBC holds exclusive rights, with both finals shown live and free-to-air on BBC One and streamed on BBC iPlayer. The BBC’s coverage begins in the morning with the build-up and continues through to the trophy presentations, and the corporation traditionally dedicates its main channel to the finals.
In the United States, ESPN holds the rights through 2035 and shows both finals live on ESPN and ESPN+, with Disney+ now offering a bundled subscription package. Tennis Channel provides additional coverage and highlights. In Australia, Channel Nine and Stan Sport share the rights, with both finals available live. European audiences can watch via Eurosport and Discovery+ in most territories, while beIN Sports holds the rights across the Middle East and North Africa. In India, Star Sports broadcasts the finals with streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra carry full radio coverage of both finals, and the Wimbledon Channel on the official app provides on-court interviews, highlights and behind-the-scenes content.
History and Records
The Championships were first played in 1877 at the original Worple Road site, where Spencer Gore won the inaugural men’s title. The ladies’ singles was added in 1884, won by Maud Watson. The tournament moved to its current Church Road home in 1922 and has been played there continuously ever since, barring interruptions for the two World Wars and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Roger Federer holds the men’s singles record with eight Wimbledon titles, won between 2003 and 2017. Novak Djokovic’s seven titles put him one behind, with Pete Sampras also on seven. On the women’s side, Martina Navratilova’s nine singles titles (1978 to 1990) is the Open Era record, while Helen Wills Moody won eight before the Open Era began in 1968. Billie Jean King, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams each won seven.
The oldest men’s singles champion of the Open Era is Roger Federer, who was 35 when he won in 2017. The youngest is Boris Becker, who was 17 when he won his first title in 1985. The 2019 men’s final between Djokovic and Federer, which lasted almost five hours and included the first final-set tie-break in Wimbledon history, is widely considered one of the greatest matches ever played at the tournament.
Tickets and Attendance
Wimbledon tickets are allocated primarily through the annual public ballot, which opens the preceding September and closes in October. Successful applicants are assigned tickets for specific days and courts at face value. A smaller allocation is sold through the famous Wimbledon Queue each day of the tournament, although Centre Court same-day tickets for the finals weekend are not available through the queue.
The LTA, British tennis clubs, and debenture holders receive further allocations. Debenture seats, sold by the club on a five-year cycle, give holders guaranteed access to Centre Court or No. 1 Court for every day of the tournament and are the only Wimbledon tickets that can be legally resold on the secondary market. Face value for a Centre Court finals ticket ranges from around £240 to £320 depending on the day, while debenture resale prices for the men’s final routinely exceed £10,000.
Hospitality packages are sold through Keith Prowse, the club’s official hospitality partner, and include private dining, a debenture seat and year-round entertaining facilities at the club.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Wimbledon men’s final 2026 start?
The Gentlemen’s Singles Final starts at 2:00 pm BST on Sunday 12 July 2026 on Centre Court.
When is the Wimbledon women’s final 2026?
The Ladies’ Singles Final is on Saturday 11 July 2026, starting at 2:00 pm BST on Centre Court.
Where are the Wimbledon Finals held?
On Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, south-west London.
How can I watch the Wimbledon Finals 2026?
BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK (free-to-air), ESPN and ESPN+ in the US, Stan Sport and Channel Nine in Australia, and Eurosport or Discovery+ across most of Europe.
Who won Wimbledon in 2025?
Jannik Sinner won the men’s title, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Iga Swiatek won the women’s title, beating Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0.