Thousands arrive at Wimbledon for first full-capacity tournament in three years

Thousands of tennis fans have begun pouring through the gates at Wimbledon as it returns at full capacity for the first time in three years.

The UK Met Office has warned the expected 42,000 supporters to brace for rain showers in the early afternoon – just as the first Centre Court games are set to begin.

The world’s oldest tennis tournament was cancelled in 2020, for the first time since the Second World War, amid coronavirus restrictions, and audience capacity was reduced to 50 per cent in 2021.

A huge throng of hopeful tennis fans also joined the famous queue for premium tickets on the day of play, including Roger Federer superfan Danilo Criscuolo, who flew from Napoli in Italy last week to be first in line for Tuesday tickets.

The 30-year-old, a car rental administrator who has been camping in south-west London for three nights, told the PA news agency: “It was a very long trip because we were two hours delayed from the start, and there was another two hours of delay for the luggage.

“But when I saw for the first time the grass of the Wimbledon park, I lost all my bad vibes – only good vibes.”

Baring a tattoo of Federer on his calf, he joked: “I have a portrait here of Roger Federer but I don’t have a portrait of my wife – he is more important than my wife.”

Mr Criscuolo said he is rooting for Italian and men’s world number 11 Matteo Berrettini this year.

Veteran Wimbledon fan and retired GP Maggie Wright said she has been joining the queue for premium on-the-day tickets for 60 years.

The 71-year-old, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, who was camping with her daughter, Henrietta Braithwaite, 30, told PA: “We used to stand and queue for Centre Court for five shillings, I think it was.

“Initially you didn’t have to queue