Wimbledon 2015: Soaring temperatures push organisers to reduce number of spectators

The decision was taken after almost 100 tennis fans required medical attention on the first day of the tournament

A general view of Court 19 as Florin Mergea serves on day 1 of the Wimbledon championships (Charlie Forgham-Bailey)

Soaring temperatures have forced Wimbledon organisers to reduce the number of spectators allowed into the grounds to attend this year’s Championships, as fans struggled to cope with the heat.

The decision was taken after almost 100 tennis fans required medical attention on the first day of the tournament, with around a third reporting feeling faint in the sun. Two people had to be taken to hospital after seeing first aiders.

Temperatures on 30 June reached 30C and are expected to climb as high as 35C on 1 July, prompting Wimbledon bosses to take action. The decision means that fans who queue for ground passes are more likely to be turned away – or will have to wait until late afternoon to be granted entry.

Richard Lewis, chief executive of the All England Club, said the organisers of the Championships were trying to “help where we can” by reducing the number of spectators during the hottest parts of the day so more shade was available.

“One of the things we’re doing with the heat predicted for the next few days is slightly reducing the initial capacity, just to see how it goes, just to see if people are getting the shade and all the water and there are no unforeseen problems,” he said.

The cap was set at 38,000 people – around 5,000 fewer than attended the Championships a day earlier. Mr Lewis said more spectators would be admitted as the day progressed, but that fans had a “personal responsibility” to ensure they stayed safe in the heat.

“The obvious guidance [is] drink more, stay hydrated, put the sunscreen on and get in the shade on a fairly frequent basis, all that sort of thing,” he said. “I know it’s easier said than done: if you’ve got a great seat and it’s not reserved, you don’t want to give it up.”

The reduced capacity, which could remain in place throughout this week’s predicted heatwave, will be disappointing for tennis fans who do not already have a ticket to the tournament. Those who had hoped to see Andy Murray in action were told at 6.53am that the Wimbledon queue was at capacity and that they should not try to gain entry.

1 July is forecast to be the hottest day of the Championships so far (AFP/Getty Images)

Fans formed long lines at water fountains and looked for the shade to keep themselves cool as sun beat down. Nursing student Gemma Williams, 21, from Crawley in West Sussex, said the heat was “a bit too much”.

She added: “You can’t sit and watch, at least not for too long, you have to move around a lot. We brought water, high factor sun cream and an umbrella because we’re hoping to watch Andy Murray on Murray Mound and there is nowhere to hide there.”

1 July is forecast to be the hottest day of the Championships so far – but former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe said the heat might make the courts play faster than usual, improving the spectacle for supporters.

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“It separates the men from the boys. It makes it more physical. It dries the courts up and makes it more slick. You may see a 150mph serve at Wimbledon because of the heat – you may see a record,” he said.

A Wimbledon spokesman said: “We have reduced today’s initial capacity slightly to 38,000 to allow people more room in the grounds and therefore more space in the shade and easier access to the free water points. Assuming all is going well, we’ll be letting more people in as the day progresses.

“The daily capacity is dependent on the number of courts in operation and the prevailing weather conditions so it would not be the first time we have regularly adjusted the daily capacity.”

At around 5.30pm, as Andy Murray was in the middle of his third set against Mikhail Kukushkin, the temperature on Centre Court reached 41C.