Wimbledon huge income cements its place as UK’s biggest sporting event

Wimbledon has secured its status as Britain’s biggest sporting event after announcing a huge rise in revenue from the 2022 tournament. The two-week Grand Slam event is renowned as the crown jewel of the tennis calendar and it can now boast bringing a massive share of the overall income to the UK, eclipsing other major events such as the British Grand Prix and Royal Ascot.

Wimbledon chiefs have posted income from the Championships for 2022 and figures revealed a sharp increase from their previous record of £292million to a massive £346.6million in 2022 – a rise of nearly 20 per cent in the three-year gap between the events.

That will come as no surprise to tennis spectators, who queue for hours on end just to gain entry to the grounds during the two-week competition. And tickets usually sell out within minutes when put up for sale on merchants’ websites, while the official ballot is always over-subscribed.

According to the Daily Mail, it is noted in the Wimbledon Championships accounts that income from broadcasters represents ‘more than half’ of the company’s turnover.

In addition, a small number of key broadcast markets – from the UK and the USA – are thought to provide the majority of that income.

That would suggest the BBC are continuing to pay a large sum to maintain their wide-scale coverage of the SW19 tournament, which takes place annually in July, although no public figures are released to confirm the exact amount.

It puts Wimbledon in a league of its own in terms of making it one of the most lucrative sporting events in the UK and across the world. For context, the figures posted for the fortnight alone are double what some Premier League clubs earn for the entire season.

Another huge turnout is expected this year despite the absence of British tennis star Emma Raducanu. The 20-year-old has undergone surgery to fix a recurring issue with her wrist and will be out of the summer leg of the WTA Tour, missing the French Open and Wimbledon.

Raducanu has emerged as a popular figure in women’s tennis after her stunning US Open triumph in 2021, but the former British No 1 has endured a torrid time since with injuries and a dip in form.

Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Harriet Dart and Katie Boulter are all likely to be in action for this year’s tournament, with wildcards handed out to lower-ranked Brits.

Fans will also be hoping to see elite players such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek turn out, as well as reigning women’s singles champion Elena Rybakina.