Wimbledon's famous ticket queue was temporarily brought to a standstill on the morning of Wednesday 8 July 2026 after a family of sleeping bats was discovered nesting in a dead tree beside the queuing route at the All England Club. Because bats are a legally protected species, stewards halted arrivals and guided them through a 30-metre environmental exclusion zone designed to avoid disturbing the roosting animals, briefly disrupting one of British sport's best-known traditions.

The hollowed-out dead tree sits next to the path leading to the on-the-day ticket sales area in Wimbledon Park and has been fenced off with a picket barrier and warning signs. Rules prevented anyone from standing still within 30 metres of the roost, prompting a mixture of bemusement and amusement among fans, some of whom reportedly "shushed" others to avoid waking the bats. Around 10,000 people can pass through the Queue each day during The Championships in the hope of securing coveted tickets.