By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: Wimbledon X Account.
For many South African tennis fans, Wimbledon is a bucket list item. The best-known tennis tournament in the world.
It’s the white clothing, the immaculate grass courts, strawberries and cream, Centre Court and the feeling of stepping into a sporting tradition that has been part of tennis history for generations.
And if Wimbledon is on your bucket list, now is the time to try your luck.
The public ballot for tickets to the 2027 Championships is open, giving fans around the world the opportunity to apply for tickets before the deadline.
You don’t need to be in Britain to enter. The first step is to create a free account on the official myWimbledon website and then complete the public ballot application.
The important date is 14 September 2026 at 11.59pm ( BST) , according to the published ballot information. There’s no advantage to applying early. Successful applicants are selected at random, so joining the ballot on the final day gives you the same chance as someone who applied when it opened.
Only one application is permitted per household, and you can apply for up to two tickets for yourself and a guest. You’ll need to provide your full permanent home address when completing the application.
There is a catch. You can’t choose the day or court you want. Successful applicants are randomly offered tickets for Centre Court, No.1 Court, No.2 Court or No.3 Court on a particular day.
This may however mean you obtain tickets for the final with a bit of luck.
Demand is enormous, with estimates suggesting roughly one in 10 applicants may be successful. So entering the ballot is no guarantee, but with thousands of tickets available, it remains one of the simplest ways to try to turn the Wimbledon dream into reality.
The 2027 Championships will run from 28 June to 11 July.
Ticket prices vary depending on the court and stage of the tournament. Centre Court seats start at £85 ( R1830 ) on the opening day and rise to between £255 and £400 ( R5500 to R R8600) for the singles finals. No.1 Court starts at £75 ( R970) , while grounds passes begin at £35 ( R760) during the first eight days.
There will also be tickets available through Wimbledon’s famous queue on the day, although that requires arriving early and, for the most sought after matches, potentially camping overnight, or for even two nights.
For a South African fan making the long journey to London, the ballot is therefore worth a shot. You may not get Centre Court for the final, but even a day walking through the gates of Wimbledon, watching world class tennis on the grass and taking in the atmosphere is an experience few tennis fans forget.
How to apply: Create a free myWimbledon account, enter the 2027 public ballot before the deadline and wait for the result. Successful applicants are expected to be contacted by email in October.