Wimbledon draws record crowds despite World Cup clash

Wednesday, 29 July 2026 - 16:04

Wimbledon+draws+record+crowds+despite+World+Cup+clash
Wimbledon enjoyed a record attendance and generated nearly 5 billion social media "impressions" ​despite competition from the soccer World Cup, ‌the All England Club said on Wednesday.

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% 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% audience share and peaked at 900,000 ​viewers.

-Reuters


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