Winning Wimbledon would not be enough to buy you a detached house in SW19
Tennis stars are descending on Wimbledon ahead of the start of the tournament next week, but many might be disappointed to find that winning one of the most acclaimed sporting competitions in the world could not even buy them a detached house in the local area.
While winners of the men's and women's singles titles are set for a £2.25m windfall, the average cost of a detached home in Wimbledon's SW19 postcode is a far higher £2.9m.
The research, published by online mortgage broker Trussle, suggests players would have more luck finding a home in neighbouring Kensington, where a two-bedroom flat costs an average £1.97m.
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There are even potential properties on the market for those who fail to make it past the first round of the lawn tennis tournament, as the £39,000 prize for falling at the first hurdle could buy a beach hut in Seaford, East Sussex.
Among the bookies favourites to claim the top cash prize in the men's group are Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Marin Čilić, while Petra Kvitová and Serena Williams have the best odds in the ladies' table.
Yet despite the large sums being paid for detached homes in areas of south west London like Wimbledon, average house prices in SW19 have fallen in the last year, dropping 1.3 per cent between January and May compared with the same period in 2017.
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Ishaan Malhi, chief executive and founder of Trussle, said: "The amount of prize money on offer at Wimbledon will seem a lot to most people, yet shockingly, it still wouldn't afford you a dream home in the local area."
Malhi added: "London house prices are slipping in some parts of the city, but these comparisons show just how unaffordable the capital has become for those on normal salaries. This perhaps explains why the average first-time buyer in London is now 33, one year older than tournament favourite Rafael Nadal."
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