Wimbledon chiefs have urged fans not to travel to the famous queue after huge crowds descended on the All England Club on the opening morning of the Championships.
Thousands of hopeful spectators arrived in south-west London on Monday in a bid to secure tickets, with organisers confirming the queue had effectively reached capacity by breakfast time.
The All England Club revealed that around 10,000 people were already waiting by 8.30am, forcing officials to advise those who had not yet set off to stay away.
Many fans had been hoping to land tickets for No 1 Court, where Emma Raducanu had been scheduled to begin her Wimbledon campaign against Croatia's Antonia Ruzic.
But those plans were ruined on Sunday night when the British No 1 withdrew from the tournament after a late scan confirmed a stress fracture.
Despite Raducanu's absence, demand remained enormous on the first day of play.
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton confirmed the queue had become so busy that fans were being told not to travel unless they were already on their way.
Wimbledon chiefs have urged fans not to travel to the famous queue after huge crowds descended on the All England Club on the opening morning of the Championships
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Wimbledon fans awoke bright and early to attend day one of the Championships
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"The queue is really busy this morning," Bolton said.
"We were at 10,000 by about 8.30am so we are advising people, if they haven't already set off to travel, not to travel, because the queue is effectively full."
The Wimbledon queue has long been one of the most recognisable traditions in British sport, with fans camping overnight or arriving early in the hope of gaining access to the grounds or show courts.
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Five things to know about Wimbledon | GB NEWSThere had been fears after Covid that the tradition might fade, but Bolton said the opposite has happened.
"I think back to that period post-Covid where we were somewhat nervous that the queue might die, and ironically the queue has become increasingly popular over that period of time," she said.
Bolton also suggested the rise of e-bikes and other hire-bike services has changed the way fans reach the site.
In previous years, spectators arriving on the first District Line tube to Southfields would often have had a strong chance of securing a ground pass.
But the availability of Lime bikes and similar services now allows people to reach Wimbledon earlier from further afield, increasing pressure on the queue before public transport is fully running.
"The way people travel and engage with things has also changed," Bolton added.
Wimbledon fans appeared in good spirits ahead of the opening day of the tournament
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"For those of you that have queued, you will know that the time you used to have to arrive was the first tube into Southfields, but now with the availability of Lime and other available branded bikes, people can get to the queue much more easily from slightly further away rather than waiting for the first tube.
"So undoubtedly the dynamics of the queue have changed and are constantly changing, and we are having to adapt the way that we operate it."
Bolton insisted Wimbledon remains committed to preserving the queue as part of the tournament's identity.
She added that its purpose remains rooted in accessibility, allowing fans without advance tickets the chance to attend one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.