It is not uncommon to see empty seats on Wimbledon’s show courts throughout the tournament.
The sight may come as a surprise given the huge queues and sold-out status of the event every year, but there are a few reasons why empty seats on Centre Court and Court One should be expected.
One main reason is that spectators are only allowed to either leave or return to their seats for any reason when players change ends every two games.
This can lead to people being stuck for some time waiting to be allowed to re-enter the court.
For example, if a spectator wants to purchase food or drink or go to the toilet, the time spent exiting the arena, queuing, returning, and waiting for a change of ends, could mean missing a significant chunk of play.
Because tickets for Centre Court and Court One tickets also grant entry to watch play on any outside court, fans may opt to take in some of the action elsewhere in addition to the area their ticket is primarily for. Again, that can leave empty seats.
There has also been the issue of high temperatures at times during the tournament this year – which was also the case in 2025.
Some spectators therefore take spells away from their seats in order to seek shelter from the heat in shaded areas.
Another factor is the length of the day, with play beginning at 11:00 BST and sometimes running for up to 12 hours. Some fans may not spend the whole day at SW19 – travel plans may mean some arrive a few hours after play begins, or leave before it ends, again leading to vacant seats.
Officials try to mitigate this by having play on Court One starting at 13:00 BST, and 13:30 BST on Centre Court, so that the courts have enough time to be as full as possible with spectators prior to the opening match.
Action continues on the outside courts until 21:00 BST and the show courts until 23:00 BST. So while play starts later on the show courts to allow people to arrive, it also finishes later too, which could lead to early exits.
Should show court spectators opt to leave Wimbledon early, they are permitted to sell their tickets back to the All England Lawn Tennis Club. This allows them to be resold to ground pass visitors for a cheaper rate.
They are resold at £15 for Centre Court spaces and £10 for Court One and Court Two.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.
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