Some would say that getting a ticket to Wimbledon is harder than being granted a one-on-one audience with the Queen. Of course, this is said in relative jest, but the fact of the matter is that tickets to the All England Club during the playing of the Wimbledon Championships are only available to a select few. Tellingly, it is estimated that one in ten people are fortunate enough to be awarded tickets in the official ballot which goes to show that 90% of people are ultimately unsuccessful with their application.
In reality, it’s easy to understand why there is such a rush for tickets given that the world’s best competitors and arguably the greatest men’s players of all time arrive in SW19 for two weeks every year. Essentially, history is being made every time the tournament is staged and the latest online gambling odds back that up with Novak Djokovic the current favourite to win in 2023. Should the Serb be able to then there is a good chance, depending on how Rafa Nadal fares over the next 12 months, that Djokovic could take the lead in the race to win the grandest slams in the men’s era.
This at least, is what the best betting tips are predicting with Djokovic at odds of evens to win at the All England Club. As you can see, 2023 may produce the most iconic playing of this famous championship yet with history set to be made. Needless to say, the usual clamour for tickets will go up a gear as the world tries to secure a front-row seat to a spectacle that may never be repeated again.
As touched on, the majority of fans will be unsuccessful in the ballot which will lead to thousands descending on Henman Hil to watch the action unfold, the viewing area to the north of No.1 Court. So, what is the fascination with this area and how did it come to get the name it now has?
The history of Henman Hill
You have to go back to 1997 when a big screen was mounted on the side of the No.1 Court following the redevelopment of the stadium. Naturally, this made the hill opposite the newly installed screen an ideal spot to watch the goings-on of the championship. The popularity of this outdoor auditorium then took off to new heights as England’s Tim Henman reached four semi-finals between 1998 and 2002. Tim Henman’s bid to make it to the actual final was in the end an unsuccessful one but that didn’t stop thousands of people from flocking to support the Englishman on the hill opposite No.1 Court.
It was during these four years that the hill was dubbed Henman Hill as ‘Henmania’ swept the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. Since then, there have been attempts to change the term or at least give it a modern feel by naming it after a British player who is currently achieving similar feats.
Murray’s Mound fails to capture the public’s imagination
Indeed, this led to people calling the viewing area ‘Murray’s Mound’ for a short time but perhaps unsurprisingly, there wasn’t enough charm or likeability to the new term which saw it eventually peter out.
Instead, the nickname Henman Hill has stood the test of time over the last two decades despite other British players going on to win Wimbledon, as Murray did in 2013 and 2016.
These days, it is still a magnificent place to watch Wimbledon for a fraction of the price and you can bet that Henman Hill will be packed during the 2023 edition of the tournament.
