When does Wimbledon 2021 start? How to watch, who's playing and everything you need to know
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One of the world's biggest tennis championships returns to Wimbledon this year after a turbulent 2020 saw the COVID-19 pandemic shut our doors to large gatherings.
As the virus raged on, organisers were forced to cancel last year's tournament. The only other times it has not gone ahead since its inception in 1877 was during both World Wars.
Things will look a bit different this year, with seats at 50 per cent capacity at earlier stages, moving to full capacity for the finals in both Centre Court and Court No.1.
As the nation gears up for Wimbledon's return, here is a run down of what you need to know.
When does Wimbledon start?
The matches will begin on Monday 28 June. Qualifying began on 21 June – but this is not open to the public this year. The hopefuls battling it out for a place in the main draw are listed here.
Can I get tickets to Wimbledon?
Ticket information is here on the Wimbledon website, and you need to register to have access to the sale.
The initial sale has closed but Wimbledon says there will be more opportunities coming up. There will be no queuing for tickets this year, so you will have to purchase them online.
Do be careful about buying tickets from other sources though- the All England Lawn Tennis Club warns that passes from unauthorised sources will not give you access to the grounds. Wimbledon ticket prices range from £20 to £270.
I'm not going, how do I watch Wimbledon?
The live games are aired on BBC and BBC One. To watch replays or live games in other courts, you can press the red button on your remote. Alternatively, you can watch on Eurosport.
Where can I find the Wimbledon schedule?
The order of play is released the night before the next day's play but a provisional schedule is available on the Wimbledon website.
When is the Wimbledon final?
The Ladies' Singles final is on Saturday 10 July and the Men's Singles final is on Sunday 11 July.
The rest of the finals, namely the Quad Wheelchair Singles and Doubles, the Boys and Girls Singles and Doubles, Ladies' and Men's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles, will be spread across Friday 9 July to Sunday 11 July.
The exact days are still to be confirmed but the provisional schedule for these is available on the Wimbledon website.
Watch: Wimbledon in numbers
Names of Wimbledon players to look out for
Men's Tennis
Novak Djokovic
Grand Slams are the four biggest tennis tournaments of the year- Australian Open in mid January, French Open (also known as Roland-Garros) from late May to early June, Wimbledon in late June to early July, and the US Open in August to September.
The current world number one is the first male player in the Open Era to have won each Grand Slam at least twice and with 19 of those already, he is a popular favourite to be back on the world-famous grass court this year.
Roger Federer
The 39-year-old 20-time Grand Slam champion will be back again. The Swiss player has been missed this year, withdrawing before the Australian Open and in the French Open due to knee surgeries and needed more time to recover.
Read more: Wimbledon etiquette: The do's, don'ts and dress code of the tennis
Ladies' Tennis
Serena Williams
The 39-year-old is going for her 24th singles Grand Slam this year. Williams has seven Wimbledon titles and is still going strong. If she wins this year, she will tie with Margaret Court, who won her 24th Grand Slam back in 1973.
Venus Williams
At 41, the seven-time Grand Slam winner five-time Wimbledon champion has not hung up her racket yet. The elder Williams sister has been handed a wild card for the tournament, meaning her world ranking is not high enough to skip qualifiers and enter the championships straight away but has been accepted into the main draw.
Will she hold up the Venus Rosewater Dish one more time?
Other rising stars include Coco Gauff, who burst onto the scene aged just 15 during the Wimbledon 2019 Championships.
Crowds were stunned after a surprising win against Venus Williams in the first round 6-4, 6-4, and shocked again when she broke back from match point against Slovenia's Polona Hercog. Now aged 17, she has reached world number 23 in the WTA rankings and will be back this year.
Who won't we see at Wimbledon?
Rafael Nadal
Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon two weeks before the tournament – announcing he would also not be taking part in the Tokyo Olympics next month.
In a statement on his Twitter, the 20-time grand slam champion highlighted the "demanding clay court season" making it tough to recuperate.
Naomi Osaka
Four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka also pulled out of Wimbledon in June The women's world number two withdrew from the French Open last month citing pressure on her mental health.