A pair of debenture tickets for Wimbledon changed hands this week for a sum far beyond the means of ordinary tennis fans, according to The Guardian.
Marcos Ortega, an architect from Spain living in north London, enters the Wimbledon public ticket ballot every year.
In seven straight years, he has never succeeded.
He was initially delighted to learn there was a way to secure a ticket for every game on Centre Court.
That delight turned to anger when he discovered the cost: £293,000 per ticket.
“I’ve played tennis all my life and I’d really love to go to Wimbledon. It’s the premier tennis competition in the world,” he said.
“Now, I learn that if you’re rich enough there is a way to pay your way in. It doesn’t seem fair.”
Ortega had stumbled upon the little-known world of Wimbledon debentures – special season tickets snapped up by the global super-rich.
There are 2,520 Centre Court debentures, each guaranteeing a seat for all 14 days of the tournament for five years.
The All England Club last sold them in 2024 for £116,000 each, raising £292m for development.
Debentures are classed as financial instruments, like shares and bonds. Owners can resell their entire allocation every Thursday at 11am.
This week, someone sold two tickets for £586,000.
The buyer will not be able to attend this year’s matches because the rights for the 2025 tournament were fixed in May.
However, they will have access to every Centre Court match from 2026 until 2030.
If that is too much tennis, they can sell tickets day by day for profit without restrictions.
A government law banning resale of live sports tickets above face value exempts Wimbledon debentures.
Debenture tickets for this year’s men’s final are listed on secondary sites for £29,079 each.
“Wimbledon promotes itself as the most democratic and diverse tournament,” Ortega said. “But this shows it is really about making the most money possible.”
A spokesperson for the All England Club said: “We are aware that tickets are being advertised at high prices but we don’t have visibility of the price they actually trade at.
Debenture holders are free to sell their tickets at any price with no commission to us.
We want to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to experience Wimbledon.”
The 2,520 debentures account for 16.7% of Centre Court’s 14,979 seats. The club reserves 1,340 seats for corporate hospitality.
Invited guests occupy 21% of seats, leaving 53.5% for the public. There are also 1,250 debenture seats on No 1 Court.
Tim Webb, who oversees debenture resales via Dowgate Capital, said interest had surged in the last 18 months.
Buyers include high net worth individuals, corporate hospitality firms, private equity people, and individuals from India, Dubai, and Europe.
The £293,000 paid per debenture this week is not the record. The highest was £325,000 earlier this year, before the May cutoff.
Wimbledon introduced debentures in 1920. Some families have held them ever since.
Debenture holders access the private champions’ room, a special entrance, and seven exclusive bars and restaurants, including the Courtside restaurant with views over courts 16 and 17.
