There are only 74 seats at Wimbledon that no billionaire can buy

The Royal Box at Wimbledon occupies one of the best positions on Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Built in 1922 alongside the current Centre Court, it holds just 74 dark green wicker chairs placed directly behind one of the baselines, and there is no way to buy your way into one.

Unlike luxury hospitality at most major sporting events, the Royal Box is not available to the highest bidder. No premium package, resale market or corporate connection guarantees a place. Every seat is allocated through invitation alone, making it one of the few sporting experiences where wealth offers no shortcut.

According to the All England Lawn Tennis Club, invitations go to members of British and overseas royal families, heads of government, current and former tennis players, commercial partners, representatives from the British armed forces, prominent media organisations and supporters of British tennis. Guests are also welcomed into the Clubhouse for lunch before play and afternoon tea afterward.

The invitation process has no public criteria and, as The Athletic has reported, is essentially decided by whoever chairs the All England Club at any given time, a position Debbie Jevans has held since 2023. That informal system has occasionally caused friction, including a 1999 incident when the Duchess of Kent was refused permission to bring a friend’s 12-year-old son into the box because he was not royal.

Even fame and money offer no guarantee. Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton was turned away from the Royal Box in 2015 for arriving without a jacket and tie, missing the men’s final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as a result.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by GATORFAN2525