Tennis fans desperate to see the Wimbledon semi-final clash between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal face paying as much as £13,000 for a single ticket today.
Demand is sky high for Centre Court today and those selling their tickets on resale sites are taking full advantage – with the cheapest available currently around £7,000.
It comes as the pair – who have 10 Wimbledon titles between them – prepare to face each other at Wimbledon for the first time since their epic 2008 final which has been described as the greatest at SW19 in history.
Nadal, 33, won that day in a five-set thriller and excitement is rapidly building for a similar encounter this afternoon with the 37-year-old Swiss.
Celebrities and dignitaries have arrived to watch history being made from the Royal Box and sponsor suites, including actors Hugh Grant and Steve Carell, singer Pixie Lott and presenter Declan Donnelly with wife Ali.
Meanwhile in the other semi-final, Novak Djokvic is taking on Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, who had to cancel his stag do arranged for Ibiza this weekend when he made the semi-final, which he was not expecting to do.
Roger Federer, pictured at Wimbledon today, will renew his rivalry with Rafael Nadal when they face each other in the semi-final in their first meeting on grass for 11 years
Nadal, left on Wednesday, and Federer, right earlier today, have not played each other at Wimbledon since the 2008 final which is often described as the greatest in the history of the tournament
Federer was all smiles as he walked into the All England Club this morning, pictured, despite the huge pressure on him
Tickets are being offered for vast sums of money on resale sites, including Viagogo, pictured, where a single ticket is on offer for more than £11,000
Entry costs £185 for a standard ticket but those have all sold out – but owners of ‘debenture’ tickets are free to sell them on the open market.
Wimbledon debentures cost £50,000 and give the buyer five years of exclusive access, including a seat for every day of each tournament plus entry into private lounges and restaurants.
There are only 2,500 debenture seats on Centre Court and 1,000 more on Court One – and they are the only ticket that is legally transferable.
It means buyers can try to maximise their investment by selling them on for a huge profit – with stellar matches such as Federer vs Nadal today providing the incentive for punters to part with huge sums.
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He’s known for his loud voice cutting through the chitter chatter of crowds.
And House of Commons speaker John Bercow has been no different at Wimbledon, where he has been pictured twice this week cheering on his hero Roger Federer.
House of Commons Speaker John Bercow watches Roger Federer’s match on Centre Court at Wimbledon today
Mr Bercow, 56, has been seen wearing Federer-branded t-shirts and celebrating wildly at the Swiss player’s third round and quarter-final matches.
The speaker – who paid for his entry – is a former tennis prodigy himself and even wrote a book on the top players of all time in 2014, listing Federer as number one.
Although he was taking time out from political life, Mr Bercow seemed more stressed than ever during the quarter-final on Wednesday, gritting his teeth and screaming in anguish as he watched Federer.
Claire-Estelle Bertrand, of with Wimbledon Debentures Holders website, said efforts were being made to convince owners to keep prices ‘reasonable’ but that interest was sky high.
She told The Times: ‘The surge for semi-final tickets came when we were in the last 16 and it looked more and more likely that Rafa and Roger would play each other. We have a relationship with our debenture holders and liaise with them to try to keep the prices as reasonable as possible, whereas on other sites the seller can be someone who has bought up a load of tickets and can push the prices much higher.’
She added: ‘We only sell tickets that we actually have. The other places take the money upfront, say you’ve got a seat in a good position and you might find that you’re right up in the gods. We tell the customer the block and location and only then is the transaction confirmed.’
It is not the first time debenture tickets have appeared on resale sites for exorbitant sums.
In 2013, when Andy Murray faced Novak Djokovic in the final, a pair of seats were being offered for £71,000.
The All England Club’s commercial manager Mick Desmond added he expects big crowds for the headline games.
‘I think people will be clamouring to come in here – not just to Centre Court but just to watch it on the hill and physically be part of it,’ he said.
He added: ‘We are blessed with a golden age.’
The club added it did not object to debenture tickets being sold on for a profit and added the sale of debentures helps keep down prices for regular tickets.
Djokovic will be first up on Centre Court today at 1pm for his semi-final against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
The 31-year-old has shocked many by reaching his first grand slam semi – including himself as he planned his stag party for Ibiza this weekend.
Instead, he has cancelled the event and is bringing six of his best friends to Wimbledon to watch him in action, while his ex-beauty queen fiancee Ana Bodi Tortosa will also be in the stands.
Tickets on Viagogo are selling from £7,000 to £12,000 today, pictured
The pair battled in the longest Wimbledon final ever in 2008, pictured, at four hours and 48 minutes, won by Nadal
Speaking before the match, Bautista Agut said: ‘I had planned to be in Ibiza right now. It feels better to be here in London.’
All six of his stags have cut short their Ibiza holiday to cheer him on against Djokovic.
A spokesman for the Met Office said Wimbledon attendees could expect some sunshine in the morning with a few showers from about 9am onwards.
‘The showers will continue into the first part of the afternoon with a 20% chance of it causing some disruption,’ he said.
‘It will clear away to the middle of the afternoon leaving the rest of the day dry and bright.
‘It will be slightly cooler and breezier day than the last few days with a maximum temperature of 24C (75.2F).’
Sir David Attenborough is among those in the Royal Box today and spent time chatting to former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, pictured together
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was also in the Royal Box today, pictured
Jovial: Hugh Grant, 58, was every inch the suave star as he and wife Anna Eberstein, 40, led the star-studded arrivals on day 11 of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in south-west London on Friday.
Happy couple: Declan Donnelly was also enjoying the summer weather as he stepped out with wife Ali (left) while Damian Lewis was also in attendance with wife Helen McCrory
This beats Ibiza! Roberto Bautista Agut’s beauty queen fiancee watches Wimbledon action after he put Balearics stag do on hold to take on Novak Djokovic
He’s the surprise tennis star fighting for a place in the Wimbledon final – and even he is shocked to be there.
Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut is playing defending champion Novak Djokovic in the men’s semi-final on Centre Court this afternoon.
But the 31-year-old was so convinced he wouldn’t make it this far he booked an Ibiza stag do for this weekend – and has now invited six of his best friend to SW19 to watch his match instead.
Roberto Bautista Agut is in action in the other semi-final against Novak Djokovic today, pictured, after cancelling his stag do in Ibiza because he did not expect to get this far
His fiancee Ana Bodi Tortosa, right, is also missing a wedding dress fitting to be at Centre Court supporting him today
Speaking before the match, Bautista Agut said: ‘I had planned to be in Ibiza right now. It feels better to be here in London.’
Also joining them will be his fiancee Ana Bodi Tortosa, a former beauty queen who is missing a wedding dress fitting in Madrid to cheer him on from the stands.
The pair have known each other since they were teenagers and are set to wed in November.
Ms Tortosa supports her husband-to-be at all of his matches but prefers to keep a low profile on social media.
Bautista Agut is the number 23 seed at Wimbledon and is probably best known to British fans as the man who knocked Andy Murray out of the Australian Open in January in what looked like the Scot’s final ever singles match before his recent hip operation and recovery.
He is the underdog against Djokovic but has beaten him in the two meetings they have previously had this year.
The childhood sweethearts, pictured here in the Bahamas last year, are set to get married in November
Ms Tortosa, who is reportedly a former beauty queen, can be seen cheering her husband-to-be on from the sidelines of every match
The challenge of winning Wimbledon is a huge task however, with no player other than Djokovic, Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal winning since 2002.
Nadal and Federer will meet each other after Bautista Agut’s match in the second semi-final of the day.
A spokesman for the Met Office said Wimbledon attendees could expect some sunshine in the morning with a few showers around later.
The spokesman said: ‘The showers will continue into the first part of the afternoon with a 20% chance of it causing some disruption.
‘It will clear away to the middle of the afternoon leaving the rest of the day dry and bright.
‘It will be slightly cooler and breezier day than the last few days with a maximum temperature of 75.2F.