Tennis fans camped overnight to secure their spots in Wimbledon’s famous queue – with many slurping from pre-mixed alcohol tins as they waited to get in for the first day of the tennis championships.
One tournament worker told how he started his shift at 6am and nearby Wimbledon Park was ‘full of people’ with many fans haranguing officials about how long they would have to wait to get in.
It was just as well fans brought their own booze as this year’s new ‘activation zone’ laid on by SW19 bosses had zero-alcohol despite tantalising tennis lovers with a Stella Artois tent.
The tent is selling non-alcoholic pints for £6.60 a pop with reusable eco cups fans could hold on to.
Official sponsor Barclays laid on free strawberries and cream ice cream for its banking customers in the ‘activation fan zone’ at Wimbledon in South West London this morning
American Express put up an archway made of tennis balls for fans to get a selfie this morning
The Stella Artois tent is selling non-alcoholic pints for £6.60 a pop with reusable eco cups
Police officers stand next to the Vodafone and Lavazza stands. The latter had a sizeable queue for its free coffee offering, with fans lounging on purple beanbags and its roof terrace
Tennis fans queuing in the sunshine at Wimbledon Park in South West London today
A small American Express stall offered its card holders free radios for them to listen to the commentary on Centre Court and Court One
Evian offered fans the unmissable opportunity to take a photo in a bizarre pink igloo it dubbed the ‘fountain of youth’ for their chance to skip the queue next year
A big screen next to the Barclays kiosk offering customers strawberries and cream ice cream
Spectators make their way through the grounds at the Wimbledon Championships today
Lanson champagne wrapped in a Wimbledon-themed cover at the All England Club today
The ‘activation zone’ was pretty quiet when MailOnline visited this morning – despite big tournament partners Barclays, Lavazza and Evian offering a slew of freebies.
But eager fans were seen hurrying through the fan zone without a second thought to get to the grounds and watch the tennis.
Official sponsor Barclays laid on free strawberries and cream ice cream for its banking customers while they relax in its deckchairs to watch BBC live coverage of the championships.
A small queue was seen at Barclays’s tennis ‘Take on Tiafoe’ experience – named after the American tennis player Francis Tiafoe – which saw members of the public face a computer screen featuring the player which spewed out tennis balls.
Coffee giant Lavazza had a sizeable queue for its free coffee offering, with fans lounging on purple beanbags and its roof terrace with their drinks.
Spectators queue in Wimbledon Park ahead of day one of the Championships this morning
Wimbledon tennis fans in the queue this morning to get into the All England Club
The first ticket holders enter on day one of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships today
Bags are checked at the gates during day one of the Wimbledon Championships today
Vodafone – which has Tim Henman as an ambassador – offered fans free phone charging in its lockers, free ice cream and the chance to win Wimbledon tickets and to pose in front of a pink and white Union Jack flag on a bench.
The telecoms firm said it would be tracking the fastest serves achieved every day across the gentlemen’s, ladies’ and wheelchair singles competitions and will match the total mph in donated SIMs, tech and resources to those without access to digital connectivity.
Meanwhile Evian offered fans the unmissable opportunity to take a photo in a bizarre pink igloo it dubbed the ‘fountain of youth’ for their chance to skip the queue next year.
It also laid on a refillable water bottle station, which it is charging fans £5 for unlimited refills of Evian natural mineral water.
A small American Express stall offered its card holders free radios for them to listen to the commentary on Centre Court and Court One.
Also in the ‘activation zone’, a menu of Moroccan street food was on offer.
Elsewhere, a small handful of pro Palestinian protesters gathered outside court number 1 as tennis fans queued to get into SW19 for the first day of play.
People protesting against Barclays’ sponsorship of the Wimbledon Championships today
People protesting against Barclays’ sponsorship of the Wimbledon Championships today
People protesting against Barclays’ sponsorship of the Wimbledon Championships today
Activists from the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Campaign against Arms Trade and War on Want brandished banners which read ‘Barclays serves Israel’s genocide’ in Wimbledon’s iconic purple and green branding.
One protester held a poster which read ‘Barclays complicit in genocide’ with a hand drawn doodling of John McEnroe with his tennis racket and his famous on court catchphrase ‘you cannot be serious’.
The protest called for Wimbledon bosses to drop Barclays, the tournament’s sponsor, which it accuses of bankrolling arms companies which supply weapons to Israel that it said are being used to carry out a ‘genocidal assault on Palestinians’.
Supporters later unfurled a blood-coloured banner which read ‘stop the genocide’ and further protesters marched from Southfields tube station blasting various chants and music from a speaker.
A Barclays spokesperson said: ‘We are proud of our partnership with Wimbledon. Like many other banks, we provide financial services to companies supplying defence products to the UK, Nato and its allies.
‘We are also financing an energy sector in transition, including providing $1trillion of sustainable and transition finance by 2030 to build a cleaner and more secure energy system.’