Tennis enthusiasts desperate to witness today's Wimbledon men's final are facing astronomical prices on the secondary market, with some tickets listed at almost £20,000 on resale platforms.
The clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at 4pm has sparked unprecedented demand, driving prices on sites like Viagogo and StubHub to extraordinary heights.
The cheapest available ticket as of 2pm stood at £14,750, whilst the most expensive reached £19,640.
These eye-watering figures dwarf the face value of £240-£315 for today's match, marking the first time in Wimbledon's history that ticket prices have exceeded £300.
Tickets for the Wimbledon final this afternoon have nearly reached £20,000
Getty
The highly anticipated encounter represents the latest chapter in a captivating rivalry between the Spanish two-time defending champion and Italy's world No1.
Alcaraz seeks his third consecutive SW19 title, whilst Sinner pursues his first Grand Slam victory away from hard courts.
Their meeting comes merely five weeks after an epic French Open final that lasted five-and-a-half hours, with Alcaraz prevailing.
JUST IN: Jannik Sinner's coach provides elbow injury update ahead of Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will face off in this afternoon's final
Getty
Despite Sinner's recent dominance with three Grand Slam titles, he hasn't defeated Alcaraz in their past five encounters.
Tickets remain available through Wimbledon's ballot system, debenture sales, and the official resale kiosk for ground pass holders hoping for last-minute availability.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club has cautioned that government proposals to cap resale ticket prices could prove "extremely damaging" to its debenture programme, a crucial funding mechanism for the championships.
READ MORE: Chelsea star insists Blues won't roll over against 'world's best team' ahead of Club World Cup final
Fiona Canning, associate director of finance and debentures at the AELTC, revealed that debenture sales have generated more than £500 million over the past decade.
She emphasised that "all of which was invested into developing and maintaining Wimbledon's facilities."
The 157-year-old organisation fears that price restrictions would undermine demand for debentures, which have been integral to Wimbledon's funding model since 1920.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Wimbledon officials fear that price restrictions could undermine demand for debentures
Getty
These are the only Wimbledon tickets legally permitted for resale.
The government's consultation, which closed earlier this year, explored various measures including price caps ranging from face value to a 30 per cent increase.
Officials are also considering limits on the number of tickets individuals can resell.
The AELTC has engaged in discussions with government officials, seeking an exemption or alternative relief for its debenture programme.
One potential solution involves creating an "authorised resale" category that would protect debentures from price restrictions.
A government spokesman confirmed they remain "committed to clamping down on touts" and will announce their plans following consideration of consultation responses.