What is latest play time at Wimbledon and does the All England Club have a curfew?

Published

5th July 2021

WIMBLEDON is back after a year’s hiatus – and there’s already been some games going late into the evening.

As ever, there is the possibility of rain at the All England Club and Centre Court is equipped with a roof for such occasions.

The roof on Centre Court means that matches can go on well into the night

Is there a curfew at Wimbledon?

Yes, the curfew was set by Merton Council at 11pm.

Outdoor events usually have an 11pm finish under UK licensing laws, because of health & safety concerns.

Before the roof was installed on Centre Court, play ended when the light failed.

Andy Murray beat Marcos Baghdatis in the latest ever Wimbledon match that ended at 11.02pm

The first record for a late match was between Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, when rain and the roof saw their fourth round match finish at 10.38pm.

Then in 2010, a match between Novak Djokovic and Olivier Rochus finished at 10.58pm – prompting the curfew by Merton Council.

Yes, once.

On June 30, 2012, Andy Murray’s third round win over Marcos Baghdatis ran until 11.02pm, in spite of the curfew.

However, no action was taken against the All England Club.

Merton Council’s leader at the time, Stephen Alambritis, said “flexibility and common sense prevailed”.