The matter of how to watch Wimbledon 2022 is likely on many tennis fans’ minds as the prestigious Championships are about to return.
Ever since the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club held its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon in 1877 the talented players and tight matches have been keeping us entertained. This year the tournament started on Monday, June 27 and will end on Sunday, July 10. For those with tickets to this year’s championships, it's now time to decide what to wear to Wimbledon and discover the fascinating facts about women at Wimbledon they might not have known.
But for all the fans who'll be cheering on their favorite players from home, there’s also plenty of TV coverage. Here we reveal how to watch Wimbledon 2022 and whether Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and more iconic stars will be playing...
How to watch Wimbledon 2022 in the UK
If you’re looking to settle down and watch Wimbledon 2022 for the entire duration and you live in the UK then the BBC is the place to head. When it comes to how to watch Wimbledon 2022, fans can enjoy the live coverage and expert commentary over the fortnight on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
The coverage kicks off at 11am BST each day and Today at Wimbledon is returning to BBC Two every evening. This takes a look back at the day’s biggest talking points and brilliant matches, perfect for anyone who wants to watch Wimbledon 2022’s highlights with even more in-depth analysis.
And if that’s still not enough Wimbledon content for you then BBC Radio 5 Live also has live commentary each day as well as a new Wimbledon Daily podcast to keep fans up-to-speed. Over the years UK viewers will likely have become familiar with some of the London tournaments’ traditions - even those which aren’t deliberate, like an inevitable mix of beautifully warm and rainy weather.
Many of the BBC’s Wimbledon presenters and commentators have returned year after year including Sue Barker, who sadly will end her Wimbledon presenting career after the 2022 championships.
According to the BBC, for her final year she's set to be joined by former Wimbledon champions including John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Pat Cash, as well as other tennis stars Johanna Konta, Caroline Wozniacki, Tim Henman, Tracy Austin and Annabel Croft.
How to watch Wimbledon 2022 in the US
Anyone living in the United States who is desperate not to miss any of the action and discover how to watch Wimbledon 2022 can also tune in on their side of the pond. This year Wimbledon is being broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN+ as well as, for the first time ever, on ABC with live matches.
ESPN+ offers coverage from multiple courts all day throughout the championships with match selections made on a daily basis. If you want to watch Wimbledon 2022 live in the US, however, early starts will be a factor. With some of the matches beginning at 11am BTS this means a 6am ET/3am PT start time for US viewers.
Meanwhile, the ESPN App is the all-in-one streaming home for Wimbledon, with ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts and the matches are also streaming on ESPN+ and ESPN3. Matches are made available on-demand afterwards for those who would prefer to watch at a time that suits them best. Meanwhile, ESPN+ is the place to check out official Wimbledon films which showcase select championships and memorable matches from years past.
How to watch Wimbledon 2022 from anywhere in the world
Wimbledon 2022 can also be enjoyed elsewhere around the world including Canada via TSN which recently broadcast the qualifying coverage for the championships. Whilst according to The Latch, in Australia the Wimbledon coverage is being shown on Stan Sports, as well as selected coverage on Channel 9. But if you’re on vacation during the Wimbledon fortnight then sadly you won't be able to watch it as you normally would at home, thanks to regional restrictions.
Luckily there’s an easy solution and you can use a VPN to continue watching your favorite iconic players compete to be crowned Wimbledon Champion 2022. This is a handy bit of software that changes your IP address so that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”
Is Roger Federer playing Wimbledon 2022?
For many long-time tennis fans the ultimate question now that the grass court tournament has started is not just how to watch Wimbledon 2022 but is Roger Federer playing Wimbledon this year? He’s been a firm fixture on the London courts over the decades, but very sadly, Roger Federer is not playing Wimbledon 2022.
This might not come as a surprise to loyal Federer fans, though, as he hasn’t played competitively since his quarter-final defeat at Wimbledon last year. Shortly after this exit from the 2021 tournament the tennis icon had surgery on his knee.
However, all is not lost for fans wanting to see the Swiss tennis player back in action on the tennis courts. Despite his recent injury and recovery, Federer’s agent Tony Godsick explained to Standard Sport back in May that the star is set to resume playing competitions in the not-too-distant future.
“He’s exactly where he wants to be but unfortunately it takes time,” Tony said. “He’s going to play Laver Cup and Swiss Indoors.”
The Laver Cup 2022 will be held at the O2 in London from September 23rd-25th, whilst the Swiss Indoors will take place from October 22nd-30th. So even though Roger Federer won’t be back in action at Wimbledon this year, if things go to plan then it seems tennis fans can anticipate his triumphant return to competition in just a few months’ time.
Which iconic stars are playing Wimbledon?
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is one of the most well-known and talented tennis players from recent years and there’s good news for fans as he will be battling to be crowned champion at Wimbledon 2022. The Spanish tennis player will face his opening match on Tuesday June 28th and will face Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.
This year will mark the first time Nadal has played at the Wimbledon championships since 2019. He has recently undergone treatment on his foot and had been practising playing on grass courts in Mallorca ahead of the tournament.
Having started 2022 by winning the Australian Open, Nadal is looking for another victory this year to make it three Wimbledon wins overall.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams will be back on the London grass courts again this year and is set to take on Harmony Tan of France for her first round match on June 28th. This will be her 21st Wimbledon appearance in her career and Serena has opened up to the New York Times about playing there again after not playing a singles match since last year’s championship where she tore her right hamstring.
“I didn’t retire,” she told the publication. “I had no plans to be honest. I just didn’t know when I would come back. I didn’t know how I would come back. Obviously, Wimbledon is such a great place to be, and it just kind of worked out.”
Many Serena Williams fans will now no doubt be eagerly anticipating her return to the courts over the Wimbledon fortnight.
Andy Murray
This year two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will take on James Duckworth of Australia in the first round. He is continuing his comeback after undergoing hip surgery and has also reportedly recovered from an abdominal injury. According to Express.co.uk, Murray found himself being rejected by a number of coaches as he sought to resume competitive tennis and discussed working with Ivan Lendl.
“Having Ivan on my team helps. We've had a lot of success in the past,” he said. “We know each other well. He still believes in me. There's not loads of coaches out there that have done that over this last period. He has.”
Murray went on to reflect, “Obviously, it was difficult to deal with because I don't know how many top-level coaches there are that you’d want to work with if trying to win the major events. That's why I'm grateful Ivan has come back to help me try to achieve what I want.”
Emma Raducanu
After her amazing US Open win last year, 19-year-old Emma Raducanu was catapulted into the tennis spotlight. This year she’ll be playing in Wimbledon once again and will take on Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium in her first round match at the championships. Raducanu is understood to be preparing to make her Centre Court debut and as revealed by The Guardian she’s aiming to focus on the positivity.
“I think last year I was so new to it, so I wasn’t even thinking of anything,” she explained. “This year I’m taking it all as a positive thing. Everyone wants me to do well and is behind me and are going to be cheering. So there’s nothing negative or to feel overwhelmed about because they’re just going to be rooting for me.”
Already she’s received an MBE and Emma Raducanu won Sports Personality of the Year in 2022, meaning she’ll be a familiar face to so many when she takes to the grass courts again.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has consistently been one of the most highly-ranked players in the world in recent years and he’ll be aiming for yet another Wimbledon victory this year. The Serbian player will be facing Kwon Soon-woo of South Korea for a place in the second round. He has been announced as the top seeded player of this year’s competition although he is not currently world number one.
Throughout his career he has claimed all but one of his Wimbledon titles without playing a tuneup event on tour first. Though Djokovic explained to the New York Times that he's confident playing on grass.
“I didn’t have too many issues to adapt quickly to the surface. Over the years, I learned how to play more efficiently on the surface as well", he declared.
How many times has Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon?
Novak Djokovic has won Wimbledon a staggering six times including two instances where he won on consecutive years in 2014 and 2015, and then in 2018 and 2019. His Wimbledon titles form part of his 20 Grand Slam singles titles and 87 career singles titles overall.
How to get tickets to Wimbledon
Whilst there’s plenty of coverage to keep viewers entertained over the Wimbledon 2022 fortnight, many people might be wondering how to get tickets to see the championships in London. There is traditionally a Wimbledon public ballot, except for 2022. This year guests who were successful in the 2020 ballot and took up their ticket offer were set to be offered the same day and court for 2022. However, all is not lost if you want to attend this year as ticket resale has also returned and people can also buy tickets on the day.
Ticket prices have been revealed for the tournament and tickets are limited to one pair per household. Prices are in a tier system, ranging from Price Band A for Centre Court, Price Band B for Centre Court, Price Band A for Number One Court, Price Band B for Number One Court and then prices for Number Two, Number Three and grounds passes.
For anyone who's already got tickets, is hoping to secure them or is simply watching along at home then you can check out the full Wimbledon draws for this year to see who stars like Nadal, Murray, Williams, Djokovic and Raducanu could be set to face.
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