Tennis fans have pitched up early on Wimbledon’s newly dubbed “Arthur’s Seat” to watch British wildcard Arthur Fery face number two seed Alexander Zverev on Centre Court.
With temperatures expected to reach as high as 31C on Friday, those visiting the All England Club have come equipped with sun cream and water.
Former Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, Australian film director Baz Luhrmann and journalist Louis Theroux are among the famous faces watching from the royal box.
Hal Cowling, 27, and his girlfriend joined the queue at 6.30pm on Thursday with the hopes of getting tickets for Friday’s semi-final matches.
The couple managed to get ground passes, and are in the queue to get resale Centre Court tickets.
Asked what match they hope to watch, Mr Cowling, a patent lawyer, said: “Well, Fery is going to be the exciting one, wild card entry and a Brit, but Djokovic (and) Sinner as well.
“I mean if we’re likely to get resales it’ll be from people who came to Fery and left, so I think we’re more likely to get into Centre Court for the afternoon.”
Mr Cowling said while they had always planned to attend Wimbledon on Friday, there is “definitely a lot of excitement” around the Fery match.
Terri Banks, 60, and her husband Adrian, 54, managed to get court tickets but have decided to pitch up on the hill instead.
Mrs Banks, an NHS worker, said: “We have got a number one court (ticket), but because of Djokovic and Sinner, and obviously Arthur, Brit, we’ve decided to come on the hill.
“Because no disrespect, we just want to see those matches.”
Asked if she is excited to watch Fery, Mrs Banks said: “Oh my gosh absolutely, it’s amazing.
“The first wild card in 25 years, and he’s done something brilliant.”
Mr Banks, a transport manager, added: “We could rename this Arthur’s Seat tonight.”
The couple have brought sandwiches, champagne, and sun cream for their day on the hill.
Retired police officer Gill Nolan, 59, attended the tournament after receiving a ground pass from a friend.
Asked how she hopes to spend the day, she said: “We’re planning on staying on the hill watching the Fery game, but my friend is in the resale queue with the hope of getting tickets for Centre Court for any game, but particularly the Fery game.”
Jen McMillan, 37, and Anna Smrckova, 34, who are both teachers, joined the queue at 4.20am. The pair flew down from Scotland on Thursday evening and said they have not slept.
Asked what they are most looking forward to watching, they said the Fery and Djokovic games.
As of 11am on Friday, the grounds were starting to get busy, with the famous hill filling up with people.
By 3pm, attendees were being asked to queue for the hill as it had reached capacity. Wimbledon staff held out a chain near the entrance to the hill and asked visitors to wait in line.
The hill, which was previously named Henman Hill and Murray Mount, has now been aptly called Arthur’s Seat by fans.
It has a capacity of up to 3,500 guests, with a dedicated team working to manage the crowd and communicate other viewing spots.
Also in the royal box are actors Martin Freeman and Damian Lewis, footballer Virgil van Dijk, and former BBC director-general Tim Davie.
Tennis fans hoping to get resale tickets to watch today’s Centre Court matches were told that the queue has reached capacity.
It is understood capacity was reached at around 11.15am.
Ticketing staff members told those waiting they could still try to get tickets for Court One.
Fery, the world number 114, will face Zverev, the reigning French Open champion, at 1.30pm on Friday as he aims to become just the second men’s wildcard to make a Grand Slam final.
