Game, set and match: your guide to Wimbledon and tennis at the Paris Olympics
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With Carlos Alcaraz and Markéta Vondroušová getting ready to defend their respective titles at London's All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club next month, Wimbledon 2024 promises to be a corker.
Whether you're attending in person or watching from home, it truly offers the best of tennis in a uniquely British setting.
But if that’s not enough for you then there will be just a fortnight to wait until the Olympic flame arrives in Paris... Here’s your guide to the summer of tennis, including dates for your diary and how to watch:
Go wild for Wimbledon
Known for its grass courts, traditional all-white dress code, and strawberries and cream, Wimbledon is a highlight of the tennis calendar. It’s the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, bringing gravitas as well as huge crowds to that corner of south-west London.
As well as the gentlemen’s singles and ladies’ singles, there are gentlemen’s doubles (defending champions are Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski), ladies’ doubles, in which Elise Mertens and Hsieh Su-wei reigned in 2023, mixed doubles (where Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk took the trophy last year), junior events, and invitational and wheelchair events. Gentlemen’s Doubles:
When: Monday, July 1, to Sunday, July 14
Where: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, UK
The major players
Novak Djokovic: the multiple-time Wimbledon champion will be aiming for another title.
Carlos Alcaraz: the young Spaniard is a rising star and hungry to defend his Wimbledon crown.
Iga Świątek: currently ranked top in the world, Świątek is a hot tip in the ladies' singles.
Emma Raducanu: with so much buzz around the British star, she’ll be keen to make an impact on home soil.
How to watch
The BBC will broadcast the tournament live in the UK, providing extensive coverage on BBC One and BBC Two; the BBC iPlayer offers live streaming of matches, highlights, and replays online or via the red button, while live commentary will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Prepare to celebrate the Paris Olympics
Tennis was part of the Summer Olympic Games programme from the inaugural 1896 event, but it was dropped after 1924 due to a disagreement between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the International Olympic Committee over how to define amateur players.
It wasn't until 1988 that it returned as a full medal sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics, open for all players regardless of age and status.
When: Saturday, 27 July, to Sunday, 4 August
Where: the clay courts of Roland Garros, the home of the French Open
There will be five events at the Olympics: men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. Players qualify for the Olympics based on their ATP and WTA rankings, and each country can qualify a maximum 12 players; wild card entries and other qualifications may also be considered to ensure global representation.
The major players
As well as Djokovic, Alcaraz and Świątek, check out Russian player Daniil Medvedev, who’s known for his powerful game and consistency. Aryna Sabalenka, a Belarusian player, has a powerful game while 20-year-old Coco Gauff is a young American star with a promising future ahead of her.
How to watch
As the official Olympic television broadcaster in the UK, the BBC will provide comprehensive coverage of Olympic events, including tennis. Keep an eye on the BBC Sport website for detailed schedules and live updates or tune in to BBC Radio 5 Live. With so much action to follow, the BBC iPlayer will be an invaluable place to catch up; BBC Eurosport will also broadcast matches and Discovery+ (Eurosport Player) will offer live streaming of the tennis events.
Game, set – and never miss a match with Jackery
If you’re interested in following all the sporting action on all courts this summer, having a reliable power source is essential. Enter Jackery, the leader in portable power stations, empowering sports fans around the world with clean, reliable energy.
Their rugged Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro boasts two AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports and even a carport to power multiple devices simultaneously so you never miss a minute of tennis.
Or check out the more compact and lighter Jackery Explorer 300Plus which has speedy recharging capabilities, either via a wall outlet or when paired with the new 40W Mini SolarSaga panel to charge on the go if you want to watch outdoors this summer.