Football-free zone: Wimbledon extends World Cup screening ban to players’ lounge
The All England Club’s chief executive Sally, Bolton, has said the strict policy on showing football on TVs and big screens will be maintained, but ‘if people want to watch on their phones, that’s fine’
Wimbledon’s ban on showing World Cup matches will extend to the players’ lounge. This is the first Wimbledon to coincide with a men’s World Cup since 2018, when England reached the semi-finals, and All England Club’s chief executive, Sally Bolton, has confirmed its strict no-football policy will be in full effect again.
That means England fans wanting to watch Wednesday’s last-32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 5pm BST will have to do so surreptitiously.
“We’re not going to be showing the football on any of the big screens around the ground,” said Bolton. “But clearly, if people have got their phones, then we’re not going to prevent people from watching the football.”
A stricter policy will apply in more prestigious areas of Centre Court, with Bolton saying: “We do discourage people from using their phones in the Royal Box.”
There are 17 World Cup matches that will be staged at the same time as Wimbledon action could be taking place. That has led to reports of players asking not to have their matches scheduled when their home country is in World Cup action. However, Bolton said that was not the case. “So far we haven’t had any of those requests,” she said.
“I’m conscious some people have suggested that in the media. But they certainly haven’t made any requests to the referees’ officer.”
Asked whether the games would be shown in the players’ lounge, Bolton said: “We’re not showing the World Cup on any of the TVs in the grounds. If people want to watch it on their phones, that’s fine.”
Two years ago, during England’s Euro 2024 penalty shootout against Switzerland, there was a disruption in play as fans watched the action on their phones while Novak Djokovic took on Alexei Popyrin on Centre Court. Djokovic smiled at the interruption and then pretended to take an imaginary spot-kick while Popyrin put up his hands to mimic a save.
On Sunday, Djokovic said: “It’s been a few times with European Championships and World Cups in the past where there were particularly interesting matches. I would be last on Centre Court and England would be playing. That was quite the experience for me on court.”