June means Wimbledon. Find out how to volley like a pro, survive the sun and ace the ticket queue
by Ruth Jarvis
SELT Team
Wimbledon’s legendary queue is as much part of the tournament’s tradition as strawberries and cream. Show court tickets are sold daily, with 500 for Centre Court (excluding the last four days), No.1 Court, and No.2 Court available on the days they’re in play. Ground passes are also on sale. The queue is now managed partly by app, allowing some queue-ers to take time out in the Queue Village, where they can buy refreshments and watch the tennis on a big screen. Find comprehensive information here.
SELT’s Chris Howard is a queue veteran: here are his top tips:
‘In my quest to secure show court tickets, I’ve spent a few nights sleeping on the pavement in the Wimbledon Church Road queue before they moved the overnight queue off the streets and into the park. You could even park your car on the pavement and sleep in it until they moved you on around 5.30am. One year (possibly 1991) we secured Centre Court tickets but were so exhausted we fell asleep in Aorangi Park for about two hours and missed the first match! We did wake up in time to watch Andre Agassi from our front row seats. Although I haven’t queued since 2016 and things have changed quite a bit the main things to consider are:
🎾 Arrive no later than 7.30am if you want to get in even for a ground pass
🎾 If you’re considering queuing for show courts then you need to be in the overnight queue – bring a tent!
🎾 If the forecast is dodgy then less people will queue – this happened to us in 2016. We arrived at 8am as it was raining. We ended up getting No.1 Court tickets and had a full day’s plays as the weather cleared up.
🎾 Once in, go and watch the matches on the outside courts – they’re the best.
Great news from Sport England this month. The nation’s health has hit a new high, with more people doing sport and physical activity than ever before. Between November 2023 and November 2024, 63.7% of the adult population met the official target of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week.
Odds are that you’re contributing to the fitness surge. Both tennis and pickleball count. Doubles is usually considered moderate activity, and singles vigorous, of which 75 minutes meets the weekly guideline. If you can keep up a conversation while playing, you’re probably in the moderate zone (and a great multi tasker).
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament played on grass – whose quick, low bounce can really bring the volley into play. Here, SELT coach Ali Robinson demos the three pillars of effective volleying plus one bonus game-changing tip. Master these, and you’re all set to dominate the net. To book a private class with Ali, click here.
June is a red-alert month for ultraviolet rays, with the summer-solstice sun high in the sky and the average hours per day of sunshine at their peak (at around seven). All summer sports expose players to a higher than average risk of skin cancer and ageing, so it’s important to take sun protection seriously, even if the sun isn’t actually out (UVA can pass through clouds).
Timing matters. UV rays are at their strongest between 11am and 3pm, when the NHS recommends you stay in the shade in summer. When the sun is directly overhead, the top of your head is particularly exposed, even if you have a full head of hair. Wear a cap, and choose one with a long brim and a solid fabric, as opposed to mesh.
Good-quality sunglasses are important, particularly for children, whose pupils are more sensitive to UV light. And particularly if you are already burned (repeated sunburn is a risk factor for melanoma), consider wearing a long-sleeved UV-protective top. In white – which reflects the sun away, as tennis and cricket pros have long known – you won’t feel any less cool.
And of course sunscreen is an essential for your face, hands and any other areas of exposed skin. The SPF indicates UVB protection (go for at least SPF30) and the stars UVA (you want at least four). Trial any new brand before you play to make sure it doesn’t make salty sweat drip into your eyes. And, again, don’t forget the kids, or the teens, either. Junior players are known to need guidance on this.
As the year progresses, the risk of sun damage decreases, but it can still be significant depending on atmospheric conditions. Keep an eye on the UV index in weather forecasts.
On Saturday 21 June, from 2-4pm, South East London Tennis will be among local organisations showcasing the sports available in the borough for disabled and neurodivergent children and young people (aged five to 25). It’s being held at the Alex Yee Ladywell Arena (that’s the athletics ground just south of our Ladywell courts), and we’ll be located in the high jump area of the running track.
We invite children and their parents to come and try all the sports so they can see that the coaches can cater for their child’s needs. We love to chat with them also and are there to understand their needs, listen to their experiences and focus on what each individual can do and enjoy with a racket, ball and a sense of fun (all provided!).
One attendee at the last event said: ‘I really liked the tennis, that was the good part. I learned how to do tennis, go down and then up. He gave me a sticker!’
You need to register in advance to attend the festival (here), which also includes boccia, dance, taekwondo and football.
…pickleball was named after a boat – it started in 1965 in the USA as an improvised game, and a pickle boat has a scratch crew. (Contrary to popular belief, co-creator Joel Pritchard’s dog Pickles was named after the sport, not the other way round.)
…it’s Taylor Swift’s favourite sport
…in doubles games, the score starts at 0-0-2! (The zeros are the scores of the serving and receiving sides, and the 2 tells us that the second of the two players in a team is taking their turn at the serve) The scoring is probably the trickiest part to grasp initially but once you’ve got it…
And don’t forget that sun cream☀️
Website by Dan Stevens