Wimbledon eases phone rules as World Cup clashes with tennis

Wimbledon will not show the World Cup on any of its screens around the grounds, including in the players’ lounge, but fans will be allowed to watch England’s match on their phones. Sally Bolton, the All England Club’s chief executive, said, “If people want to watch it on their phones, that’s fine.”

The decision came as Wimbledon opened its 139th edition and the schedule began to overlap with football. About 17 World Cup ties could fall during The Championships, including England’s round-of-32 match against the Democratic Republic of Congo at 5pm BST on Wednesday, a fixture that could clash with singles play on Centre Court. The club’s existing rules still require mobile phones, tablets and other electronic devices to be switched off in and around the courts of play, but officials have eased enforcement enough to tolerate occasional score-checking, so long as devices are not on loud and do not disturb other spectators.

In the queue outside the grounds, Greg McGowan, 79, called phone use “distracting” and said football fans should go elsewhere. Andy Feinberg, who flew in from New York, said it was “a bit disrespectful” to other spectators. In 2018, phone rules were not enforced if device use was not adversely affecting others during England’s 2-1 semi-final defeat by Croatia.

The official app already offers live scores, live radio, updates, videos and ticketing, while television monitors around the grounds provide up-to-date scores, results and other public information. The tournament was first televised in 1937, carried Britain’s first colour broadcast in 1967, and was transmitted in 2025 through 39 broadcast agreements to more than 220 territories. Wimbledon 2026 also brought a 20 per cent rise in total prize money to £64.2 million, with first-round losers receiving £80,000, and the first use of video review on six courts.