Wimbledon's ban on showing World Cup matches will extend to the players' lounge, the All-England Club's chief executive, Sally Bolton, has confirmed. This marks the first Wimbledon to overlap with a men's World Cup since 2018, when England reached the semi-finals.
Strict Policy in Effect
Bolton stated that the club's strict no-football policy will be fully enforced. “We’re not going to be showing the football on any of the big screens around the ground,” she said. “But clearly, if people have got their phones, then we’re not going to prevent people from watching the football.”
A stricter policy applies in more prestigious areas, with Bolton noting: “We do discourage people from using their phones in the Royal Box.” This means England fans hoping to watch Wednesday's last-32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 5pm BST will have to do so surreptitiously.
No Player Requests for Rescheduling
There are 17 World Cup matches scheduled at the same time as potential Wimbledon action. Despite media reports suggesting players have asked not to be scheduled during their home country's matches, Bolton said: “So far we haven’t had any of those requests. 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 games would be shown in the players' lounge, Bolton confirmed: “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.”
Previous Disruptions
During England's Euro 2024 penalty shootout against Switzerland, fans watching on their phones caused a disruption while Novak Djokovic played Alexei Popyrin on Centre Court. Djokovic smiled and pretended to take a spot-kick, with Popyrin mimicking a save. On Sunday, Djokovic recalled: “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.”
