Wimbledon 2023 championship news from how to watch to players schedule

Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina are back to defend their titles from last year, and the 2023 edition boasts a bit of extra spice due to the return of ranking points following last year’s controversial lack of points as Nick Kyrgios, a men’s singles finalist at last year’s Wimbledon, has withdrawn from this year’s tournament saying he has torn a ligament.

A dispute over Russian and Belarusian players being barred by the All England Club led to the ATP and WTA Tours withdrawing points from the tournament. That means no points will be wiped out this week, with everything to gain. Another dispute means anyone travelling by train will see disruptions for 6 days as train drivers refuse to work overtime

British players include Andy Murray, Cam Norrie and Dan Evans among the men’s tournament, while Katie Burrage, Katie Swan and Heather Watson are among the women’s contenders, though Emma Raducanu is absent through injury.

Fans across the UK have plenty of options to soak up all the drama live across BBC platforms, with daily live coverage, highlights and more coming throughout the duration of Wimbledon.

MarkMeets has rounded up all the details about how to watch Wimbledon 2023 live on TV and online.

When is Wimbledon 2023?

The tournament kicks off on Monday 27th June 2022.

It will draw to a close with the final on Sunday 10th July 2022.

Qualifying for the event took place from Monday 20th June until Thursday 23rd June.

How to watch and live stream Wimbledon 2023 in the UK

Wimbledon is once again broadcast across BBC platforms throughout the duration of the tournament.

Live matches will air on BBC One, BBC Two and the BBC Red Button.

Viewers can also choose up to 18 courts to watch through smart TVs, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app.

BBC Radio 5 Live is offering live commentary every day of the competition, while Today at Wimbledon will provide highlights and match analysis nightly on BBC Two.

Wimbledon 2023 schedule

ATP Men’s Singles (Grand Slam)

• First round: Monday 3rd – Tuesday 4th July
• Second round: Wednesday 5th – Thursday 6th July
• Third round: Friday 7th – Saturday 8th July
• Fourth round: Sunday 9th – Monday 10th July
• Quarter-finals: Tuesday 11th – Wednesday 12th July
• Semi-finals: Friday 14th July
• Final: Sunday 16th July

WTA Women’s Singles (Grand Slam)

• First round: Monday 3rd – Tuesday 4th July
• Second round: Wednesday 5th – Thursday 6th July
• Third round: Friday 7th – Saturday 8th July
• Fourth round: Sunday 9th – Monday 10th July
• Quarter-finals: Tuesday 11th – Wednesday 12th July
• Semi-finals: Thursday 13th July
• Final: Saturday 15th July

Where is Wimbledon 2023 held?

The tournament is held at the iconic All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, south west of London.

Wimbledon has been held at the All England Club since 1877, making it the oldest tennis tournament in the world. The All England Club boasts lush outdoor lawn courts, making it the only Grand Slam tennis tournament to be held on grass.

Wimbledon Facts

The main matches are held in the 14,979 capacity Centre Court, which had a retractable roof added in 2009. The nearby Aorangi Park has become colloquially known as Henman Hill and Murray Mound after the famous British players, and fans traditionally watch the matches there while eating strawberries and cream.

What length is the grass on Centre Court?

The first cut in preparation for the Championships shaves the lawn down to 25mm, before the winter sees another reduction down to around 13mm.

However, this figure can only be reached without trimming off more than a third of the original length at a time, to avoid weakening the individual grass blades.

The surfaces are then cut by 1mm per week from approximately nine weeks before the tournament, down to the optimum playing height of 8mm.

In the four weeks leading up to the tournament, the grass is mowed every day to ensure the 8mm length is adhered to. Think about that next time you mow the lawn!

Why do players wear white at Wimbledon?

The original reason for cracking out the tennis whites was to prevent sweat patches prominently showing through – a disaster for the social elite types back in the day.

The tradition stuck and a fresh set of rules in 2014 stated that only “a single trim of colour” no wider than 10mm is allowed on the neckline, sleeves or even underwear.

This is a rule the All England Club takes seriously – Roger Federer’s trainers were banned from the tournament in 2013 because the soles were orange.

Why are Wimbledon tennis balls kept in the fridge?

Don’t you hate it when you’re searching for that jar of mayo at the back of the fridge and you can’t see past the Wimbledon tennis balls spilling out?

Throughout history, fridges have been deployed at the side of courts to maintain the consistency of bounce in every ball while they’re waiting to be used.

How loudly do Wimbledon players grunt?

Maria Sharapova would commonly tip over 100 decibels on court, while Monica Seles and Jimmy Connors were the earliest known pioneers of ‘The Grunt’.

How much will strawberries and cream cost at Wimbledon?

A portion of 10 strawberries (minimum) and a lashing of cream will set you back £2.50 at the Championships, a price that has been frozen for the last 13 years. Take that, inflation!

The strawberries are always Grade 1 from farms in Kent, and they are picked at 4:00am on the day they are sold and scoffed at Wimbledon.

More than 166,000 portions were sold during the two-week 2018 tournament – but wait, why are we eating them at Wimbledon?

Why do people eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon?

The delicious snack was served to 200 punters at the 1877 Championships and the tradition is still going strong more than 140 years later.

Can Wimbledon players go to the toilet during a match?

Wimbledon rules permit players to “request permission to leave the court for a reasonable time for a toilet break”, but this must be taken during a set break and cannot be used for any other purpose.

Male and female players are allowed two toilet breaks per match, while doubles teams must share their allocated number of breaks.

The rulebook also states “the nearest assigned bathroom should be used” and that a line judge must accompany the player to ensure they “do not use the break for any other purpose”.

What TFL zone is Wimbledon in?

Wimbledon sits in Zone 3. More than 12 million people pile through the barriers each year, with many heading to The Championships.

Wimbledon presenters on BBC | Meet pundits and commentators

BBC Test Match Special commentator Isa Guha returns to spearhead morning and early afternoon coverage from SW19, while BBC welcomes Qasa Alom to presenting duties of daily TV highlights show Today at Wimbledon.

Beyond the lead presenter roles, there’s a small army of pundits, ex-players and commentators scattered across the courts to bring all the latest news, views and analysis of each day’s play.

The BBC boasts extensive coverage of Wimbledon once again this year across its TV, radio and online platforms so you need not miss a game, set or match for the entire two weeks.

Who is presenting Wimbledon coverage on TV?

Daily coverage from SW19 will be available across a whole range of BBC platforms, from their main TV channels to BBC iPlayer to the BBC Sport website, Red Button and beyond.

Live matches and highlights programmes are set to dominate the airwaves for the next couple of weeks and we’ve rounded up the faces and voices you’ll see and hear over that time.

Clare Balding

Beginning her career in broadcasting as a BBC trainee in 1994, Balding has become one of the most recognised sports presenters in the UK, reporting on television or radio from numerous Olympic Games’ as well as fronting television coverage of horse racing, rugby, athletics and much more.

She has presented non-sporting shows including Countryfile and coverage of major events such as The Trooping of the Colour.

Isa Guha

Former England international cricketer Guha is a relatively new addition to the BBC presenting team on tennis coverage.

She will introduce each day of coverage (from 10:30am on Day 1, from 11am on each day after that) before handing the reins to Balding in the early afternoon to take viewers into each evening.

Guha has a wealth of experience commentating and presenting cricket coverage across multiple channels around the world, including BBC’s beloved Test Match Special and Sky Sports’ coverage.

John McEnroe

Recognised as one of the greatest male tennis players of all time, McEnroe won seven singles Grand Slams and eight doubles Grand Slams in his illustrious career – including lifting the singles title at Wimbledon three time in 1981, 1983 and 1984. Since retiring from tennis McEnroe has become one of the leading pundits and commentators in world tennis.

Martina Navratilova

Navratilova is considered to be one of the best ever female tennis players, with an astonishing record of winning 18 Grand Slam titles during her career – including nine Wimbledon titles between 1979 and 1990. Having dominated the game for so long as a player, her expert insight into the current game has made her a mainstay of tennis broadcasts across the world.

Billie Jean King

A former world number one player, King won an incredible 39 Grand Slam titles during her career: 12 in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. Considered to be one of the true greats of modern tennis, she has provided expert commentary for the BBC and other broadcasters for many years.

Pat Cash

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash is a familiar face for many across the world after lifting the prestigious trophy in 1987. The Australian is synonymous with Wimbledon after being the first player to climb into the stands to celebrate, a tradition that is now frequently repeated.

Tim Henman

One of the best known British players of the modern era, Tim Henman flew the flag as British number one for many years during the late 1990s and early 2000s, reaching the Wimbledon semi-final no less than four times as a singles player – and reaching the same stage of both the American and French Open. Sadly he was never to win a singles Grand Slam title, but he is still one of the most recognised names in English tennis, synonymous with Wimbledon.

Johanna Konta

Konta is the most successful British woman at Wimbledon in modern times having reached the semi-finals in 2017. She reached the semi-finals in three different Grand Slams and became world No.4 in 2017 but couldn’t land a major title and retired in 2021 due to injury.

Annabel Croft