Wimbledon broke attendance record despite World Cup clash
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General view inside the stadium of the first-round match between the US’ Serena Williams and Australia's Maya Joint at Wimbledon.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – Wimbledon enjoyed a record attendance and generated nearly 5 billion social media “impressions” despite competition from the football World Cup, the All England Club said on July 29.
A cumulative 550,151 fans passed through the gates during the fortnight, slightly up on 2025, with many purchasing tickets on the day via Wimbledon’s famous queue.
Daily attendance records were set on three separate days during the championships.
Organisers credited the bumper figures to the first rain-free Wimbledon since 2019 and the unexpected semi-final run of British wildcard Arthur Fery, which helped offset potential viewer losses to the World Cup.
The tournament’s commercial appeal was evident in retail figures, with a record 117,995 hats sold across the fortnight.
Broadcasting numbers were also high, with ESPN reporting it was the second-most-viewed Wimbledon championships of all time. The tournament’s social media following grew by 11 per cent across all platforms.
The all-Czech women’s singles final between Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova proved particularly popular in the Czech Republic, where Eurosport sub-licensed coverage to free-to-air broadcaster Prima.
The match attracted a 38.5 per cent audience share and peaked at 900,000 viewers. REUTERS
