Wimbledon officials took significant security measures during the tournament’s opening days, especially following reports of a man with a restraining order for stalking British tennis star Emma Raducanu. This person was effectively banned from being able to buy a ticket — all while keeping players, fans, and communities safe. The heralded competition started on a high note. More than 13,000 attendees packed the grounds on Monday, marking a remarkable rebound in attendance — up nearly double from last year.
Through Monday, average attendance was up to 42,756, against 40,514 on the equivalent day in 2022. It’s no surprise, then, that Tuesday morning welcomed more than 10,000 fans lined up outside the gates, anxious to see the excitement unfold. Daniel Evans was the first British player through to the second round. He beat compatriot Jay Clarke in a nail-biter of a match. Jack Draper advanced after his opponent, Sebastian Baez, retired with injury.
Calls for fan spectator behavior first started to appear on the world stage around Yulia Putintseva’s complaints about a “crazy” and “dangerous” fan. This spectator who had spent the first half of the performance insulting them in Russian about the war on Ukraine. Putintseva ordered officials to eject the spectator from the arena while she was competing.
“Take him out, because maybe he has a knife and he will attack after, I don’t know,” – Yulia Putintseva
In the wake of incidents like these, Wimbledon’s Operations Director Michelle Dite flagged the need to listen to players’ worries as they happen. She stated, “We would rather know about these things, and that is what happened yesterday, and the chair umpire then had some really good communication as planned.”
The tournament had gone from strength to strength but was hit by further adversity when the mercury hit 34.2C (93.6F) just after midday on Tuesday. The intensity of the heat was too much for some attendees, as one woman fainted while watching a game on Monday. In a moment of compassion, Carlos Alcaraz paused play to offer a bottle of water to a struggling spectator, highlighting the camaraderie within the event.
In short, Wimbledon is concerned with protecting their players and patrons. It’s still going strong, continuing to attract sell-out crowds and produce exciting matches. We’re increasing attendance and taking a preventative and proactive approach to security. Providing everyone with a world-class tournament experience in a safe and secure environment is our goal.