Wimbledon fans told not to travel to tournament as official statement released hours before first match

Tennis fans looking to head down to Wimbledon have been told to stay away as an official statement was released just hours before the first match.

On Monday, the third Grand Slam of the season gets underway at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Wimbledon is one of the most anticipated and prestigious events on the sporting calendar, and hundreds of thousands of fans are expected at the tournament over the next two weeks.

However, on Monday morning, tennis fans looking to head down to SW19 have been warned to stay away.

Taking to their official website, Wimbledon warned fans that 'The Queue' is already 'very busy'.

The Queue is always popular during the opening week as it allows fans to grab show court tickets and ground passes on the day of the event.

Fans often gather in the early hours in order to try and make it in before the matches get underway.

The limited tickets are sold on a best available, one per person queuing basis.

It has been reported that a total of 500 tickets for Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2 are available for the days that they are in play (Excluding the final four days).

Wimbledon kicks off on Monday morning. Image: Getty

However, fans have been warned that they face being left disappointed on Monday.

A statement read: "Please be aware that the Queue for Day 1 - Monday 30th June - is very busy and to avoid disappointment we strongly advise you not to travel to the Grounds today.

"Please note there is hot weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday. In both The Queue and the Grounds there may be periods where shade is not available. Please plan appropriately, including bringing water, suncream and a hat. Water refill points are available in the Queue and around the Grounds."

The Queue began at 2pm on Sunday (June 29), 20 hours before the grounds opened for the first day of the tournament.

Who will be in action on Day One at Wimbledon?

Defending men's singles champion Carlos Alcaraz will open Centre Court against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini, with play set to get underway at around 1:30pm.

The likes of Taylor Fritz, Holger Rune and British hopefuls Cameron Norrie, Billy Harris and Jacob Fearnley will also be in action.

Meanwhile, on the women's side, Emma Raducanu will take on fellow Brit Mingge Xu. World number one Aryna Sabalenka, former finalist Jasmine Paolini and 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova will all take to the courts.