Royalty. Sun. Strawberries. Cream. Oh, and tennis.
Every year in London, it feels like the whole world descends on one of its southernmost suburbs: Wimbledon. Nearly a century and a half old, the historic tennis tournament — one of four Grand Slams on the ATP Tour — lasts around two weeks at the beginning of July and promises some of the most thrilling grass-court tennis you’ve ever seen (as well as some awful tube traffic).
The quality of the game only seems to rise every year as seeded and unseeded players alike battle each knock-out match like it’s the last they’ll ever play. The anointing of its gentlemen’s and ladies’ singles victors remains the highest achievement in the sport. You could be Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Serena Williams, or even better, and you’ll still thirst for a Wimbledon win more than any other Slam.
Granted, the prize money will only contribute to that competitiveness: The total tournament pool of winnings comes to an eye-watering £64,200,000 (approximately $85.8 million), with the singles champions taking home £3.6 million ($4.8 million) each. Compare this to 1968, when the men’s winner would earn £2000 ($2,600), and the women’s just £500 ($670), and it doesn’t take long to see how lucrative a sport tennis has become over the course of six decades.
But the beauty of Wimbledon also lies within its uncertainty. Its prestige pushes players to maximum capacity and produces results that earn gasps from even the most polite of upper-class Brits perched in the Royal Box. Take 23-year-old Arthur Fery, a wildcard entrant who ranked 114th in the world before this year’s event, and who has now fought his way to a semi-final spot against the 3rd-ranked player in men’s singles tennis, Alexander Zverev. The Briton’s fairy tale run has made him this Wimbledon’s poster boy for underdogs. His predicted world ranking after it’s over? 36th. The tournament, by and large, is a king-maker.
But why are Bad Bunny, Maude Apatow, Cynthia Erivo, David Beckham, Joe Jonas, Elle Fanning, Rami Malek, Dustin Hoffman and Benedict Cumberbatch all over Wimbledon’s social media hashtag this year? The event has always pulled in the world’s biggest stars. Such is its eminence that the Prince and Princess of Wales always find time to drop in (for the latter, it’s an obligation — she’s the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which hosts Wimbledon every year), but Wimbledon is increasingly becoming as glitzy as a film festival or fashion week. The Hollywood Reporter has a couple of guesses as to why it’s never been chicer to take a trip to Wimbledon Village.
1. The Perfect Place to Hard-Launch a Relationship
Wimbledon is often the first public outing for a fresh celebrity couple, whether it’s Hollywood actors — such as, this time, Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro, who came in coordinated Ralph Lauren outfits — or a different sport entirely, like Ferrari’s F1 golden boy Charles Leclerc and his now-wife Alexandra in 2023. Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge famously dined on tea, scones, and jam this time last year, in what was only their second or third public appearance together. Or maybe it’s not even a romantic relationship that sets social media on fire, but a platonic one: Wicked co-stars Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande were photographed giggling over a Pimm’s in the stands two years ago.
From left: Monica Barbaro and Andrew Garfield at Wimbledon July 4, 2026.
Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage
Why is Wimbledon such a popular choice for celebrities looking to go Getty official? Well, everyone dresses up for the occasion — it might just be the sleekest, preppiest dress code in the world — so flattering photos are guaranteed. It’s great publicity, because Wimbledon is considered a pretty sophisticated sporting event, and an interest in tennis scores you culture points. While you’ll almost certainly get some airtime on the BBC and ESPN, which have had the exclusive media rights for the tournament in the U.K. and U.S., respectively, for years, there’s no real responsibility to talk to journalists or fellow members of the public. Just a cab ride from central London, you can come and go as you please, escorted by security, and pretend you’re a die-hard spectator.
2. The Brands Have Skin in the Game
The official tournament partners this year, such as IBM, Ralph Lauren, American Express, and Rolex, all have their own hospitality suites that serve hot food, champagne, afternoon tea, and fantastic views of the external courts. Some of the top-tier packages granting access to these luxury pavilions and Centre Court suites go for upwards of £3,000 ($4,000) per person.
Most stars will be guests of these brands, of course, such as the annual Wimbledon luncheon with British Vogue, British GQ, and Ralph Lauren, co-hosted by none other than Anna Wintour. Garfield and Barbaro stopped by, as did Tom Hiddleston, Emma Corrin, Michaela Coel, Naomi Ackie, and Simone Ashley, all of them dressed impeccably by Ralph Lauren (again, never a bad photo). And if they aren’t leasing a suite, they’re still repped in the stands: Elle Fanning came in Dior, David Jonsson in LOEWE, and Maura Higgins in Chanel. Evian, the tournament’s official water partner, had U.S. influencers Alix Earle and Anastasia Karanikolaou swing by, which brings us to reason three…
3. It’s a Flex
It’s hard to think of a more luxurious sporting event than Wimbledon. Monaco Grand Prix might give it a run for its money on pure glamor, but at least you can swap the smell of motor oil for strawberries and cream at the tennis. There’s a sense of serenity in Wimbledon Village, not to mention an onsite pharmacy and medical centre, shops, phone charger dispensers, and a wealth of food options including Cajun fried chicken, crayfish and a portion of lobster at £28.50 ($38.22) apiece.
Tickets can range from £30 ($40) all the way to £10,000 ($13,400) for a men’s singles final ticket, and the majority are offered through a ballot, which means your attendance is often completely dependent on dumb luck. Unless you’re willing to give the Wimbledon queue a go, which has reported wait times of up to seven hours this year and even has some avid fans camping out overnight in uncharacteristically scorching weather here in London.
So, getting an invite or nabbing a coveted seat in the Royal Box next to Queen Camilla, Paul McCartney, or Hugh Laurie is a real “made it” moment for some stars. Its exclusivity is as alluring as the standard of tennis on display, but the feel-good vibes are still just as palpable watching on the enormous screen from Henman Hill.
4. Social Media Is Turning Wimbledon Into a Can’t-Miss Event
Call it the Zendaya effect if you like, but social media buzz around the tournament is as frenzied as it’s ever been. On Instagram and TikTok in particular, users are accruing thousands of views through “Day at Wimbledon” videos or by offering tips on the aforementioned mega-queue. Attendees have reportedly spoken about a much younger demographic appearing at the matches over the last few years, and The Guardian has reported that Wimbledon has been purposefully courting influencers who can get tennis to a whole new generation.
Their director of marketing, Usama Al-Qassab, said the approach is working, and that attendees are generally inching younger every year over the last decade. Ticket holders in the ballot average at around mid-40s in age, while for those in the queue it is 35. Al-Qassab said demand for the event had surged in recent years among international visitors too, and that the ballot for tickets is more competitive than ever. Around 300,000 people came to Wimbledon in just the first week this year — a new record.
It aligns with tennis’ growth on a global stage, with 106 million people around the world now picking up a racket regularly. That’s an increase of 25.6 percent in five years, according to a 2024 study released by the tennis’ global governing body, the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Much of this is likely related to the intensity around Gland Slam rivalries — the younger generation now has their own Nadal and Federer in Sinner and Alcaraz — as well as the sport’s gender equity, and tennis getting the Hollywood treatment through the Zendaya-starring Challengers and Netflix doc Break Point. TikTok, a brand also present at Wimbledon this year, can boast having made Morgan Riddle a star: The ex-girlfriend of U.S. tennis star Taylor Fritz, Riddle’s social-savvy brain (and 600,000 followers) earned her the title “the most famous woman in men’s tennis.”
