Fans at Wimbledon on Opening Day

The winner of the show in 2017 began a short countdown before shouting, "Let's go!" and running through an arch in Wimbledon Park.

Julia Barker, 47, was the first person in the queue, accompanied by her husband Nicky, 54, and their son Dan, 23. They had a green queue ticket with the number one stamped on it.

Many Wimbledon fans had camped out overnight in anticipation of the gates opening. The Barker family, originally from Latvia but residing in Ireland for over 20 years, had been camping since 7:30 am on Saturday.

Dan expressed surprise at being the first in line and mentioned their hope to secure tickets for Centre Court or Court One. However, they soon realized that no one else had arrived yet.

Sarah Hedley, a civil servant from Hull, has been attending Wimbledon every year since 1995. She recalled seeing an article about the queue on the six o'clock news and expressing her desire to experience it. She and her friend decided to join the queue that night.

Karen Mardon from Surrey, accompanied by three friends in their 60s, emphasized the democratic nature of the Wimbledon queue. She mentioned that it provides an opportunity for everyone, regardless of wealth, to attend the tournament.

Lawyer Katrin Causch, who traveled from Berlin, joined the queue for the fourth time. She arrived at Wimbledon Park on Sunday night with only a sleeping bag and no tent. She described the allure of Wimbledon as "unbelievable" and appreciated the chance to obtain tickets without exorbitant prices.

Despite the expectation of scattered showers, spectators enjoyed sunshine and blue skies on Monday morning in south-west London. The potential travel disruption caused by the withdrawal of non-contractual overtime by Aslef members did not materialize.

On the first day of the tournament, British fans had six players to support: Dan Evans, Jodie Burrage, Katie Swan, Jan Choinski, Harriet Dart, and Liam Broady. Evans, known for his recent criticisms and remarks about British tennis, looked forward to his match against Quentin Halys from France.

Burrage, who had a memorable incident last year when she offered a treat to a ball boy, aimed for better results this time against Caty McNally from the United States.

Swan hoped for a strong performance at Wimbledon to attract Elton John's support after signing with his management company. She faced Belinda Bencic as her first opponent.

Novak Djokovic, aiming for his 24th Grand Slam singles title and eighth Wimbledon victory, also played his first match on Monday.

Clare Balding took over from Sue Barker as the BBC's face of Wimbledon, with Isa Guha sharing presenting duties. The competition ran from Monday, July 3, to Sunday, July 16.