The Last 8 Club in Wimbledon has history and continues to grow

Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro are the two latest Americans to join the Last 8 Club at Wimbledon. They are not the only ones in 2024, as half of the men’s and women’s singles quarterfinalists reached the last eight on the grass of the All England Lawn Tennis Club for the first time.

The path there brings advantages.

According to a tradition started at Wimbledon in 1986 and adopted in one form or another by all three other major tournaments since then, singles players who reach the quarterfinals, men’s and women’s doubles players who qualify for the semifinals (still the last eight players in the draw), and mixed doubles finalists receive an invitation to join the club.

This club brings with it privileges.

Paul and Navarro are joined by Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Barbora Krejcikova, Lulu Sun, Donna Vekic and Jasmine Paolini as newcomers. The benefits are starting now, but likely won’t be realized for years.

MORE: History of the Wimbledon site: Historically ready for expansion

In addition to the prestige of being a Wimbledon quarter-finalist, invitation to the Club includes lifetime privileges including a photo pass allowing access to the grounds on all tournament days, a guest pass, use of the Last 8 Club’s private hospitality suite, day tickets for matches on both Centre Court and Courts No. 1, and an invitation to a cocktail party on the second Tuesday of the Championships.

The club itself started in 1986 as part of the 100th.^th celebration and grows each year as membership lists are updated. “It’s about giving a sense of belonging to players who have provided great entertainment for the crowd on the pitch but later come back and realise they’re nobody,” Tony Gathercole, a former assistant referee who managed the Last 8 Club for many years, once said.

The idea was that players who had had groundbreaking experiences during the tournament would simply return as “regular Joes”. The tournament wanted to “create an opportunity for these players to meet each other away from the public eye and enjoy tennis together”.

MORE: Gilded Grass: Lawn tennis is played next to villas in Newport

Although some members of the Last 8 Club are also members of the All England Club, a visit to the Last 8 Club, which is located behind Gate 5 and features a floral arrangement in the shape of a figure 8, offers a quiet, less formal way to meet former participants.

Gathercole said the club is mostly attended by veterans, as new members usually play for a few years and recently retired players often have other commitments during the tournament, whether as a coach, commentator or simply taking a break from travelling.

While this year’s Last 8 Club membership continues to grow, there is an even more exclusive membership available for the tournament’s winners: honorary membership of the All England Club, a club whose membership is capped at just over 500.

All champions in women’s and men’s singles receive honorary member status, arguably the most prestigious club membership in sport. For 16 singles players, membership in the Last 8 Club in 2024 is assured. Now they are aiming for another membership goal.