Tennis fans brave heat in queue

Tennis fans have camped out for days to bag a spot at the front of the famous Wimbledon queue as the tennis tournament begins in south-west London.

Retired nurse Vicki Broad, 57, arrived on Friday morning, making her the first in line for Monday’s play. Temperatures topped 30C at times over the weekend.

Ms Broad, from Swansea, said: “We’ve been fifth and sixth previously but we’ve never been to the front of the queue before.

“We got here on Friday and thought: ‘Where is everyone?’ We didn’t even notice we were at the front until someone came and sat down behind us. It’s a lovely thing to achieve but it’s been exhausting.”

She added: “The sun has been tough but we’re in the shade now.”

Ms Broad was hoping to see world number three Carlos Alcaraz, but also planned to cheer on Mimi Xu, the British wildcard taking on Emma Raducanu on Court 1.

“She’s from Swansea, so we have to show our support,” Ms Broad added.

Nearby, dozens of Alcaraz fans from Spain and the US were camping out in matching red-and-yellow bucket hats ready to cheer on the defending men’s champion.

Maria Iniesta, 47, a physician from Madrid, queued with her husband, sister and children aged 13, 16 and 18.

Now living in Houston, Texas, the family travelled nearly 5,000 miles for a chance of securing Centre Court tickets.

“We’ve been queuing since Saturday,” Ms Iniesta said. “We’ve had air mattresses, sleeping bags – everything.

“For us the weather is fine because we’re from Spain but we live in Houston.

“It’s been funny to watch the British people sweating – it’s been easy for us.”

The Wimbledon queue has become a tradition unlike any other in sport, with hundreds lining up to buy on-the-day tickets to the tournament’s show courts, as well as grounds passes.

The park resembled a mini-festival by Sunday afternoon, with rows of tents, folding chairs and portable fans scattered across the grass.

One tennis enthusiast revealed he told his boss he had a dental emergency so he could queue over the weekend.

The man, who unsurprisingly did not want to be named, said: “I had to take drastic action – anything for a chance to see Alcaraz.

“Boss is none the wiser but I just need to make sure I don’t get caught on the fan-cam.”

Friends Francis and Dhillon met in the queue two years ago.

Francis said: “It is one of my favourite things to watch on TV; to come in real life as I did two years ago and to watch it now, it’s so good.

“You get to see how quick the players hit the ball, you get to have the camaraderie with the other people there.

“I would recommend that if you can come down, you should, it worth the wait in the queue!”