Super-rich tennis fans can now buy a 5-year pass for Wimbledon's Centre Court for a reported $132,000 - and that's probably still a bargain

Nic Bothma / Pool via AP

Debenture ticket holders will get to rub shoulders with the royals.

• Debenture tickets offering five-year access to Wimbledon Centre Court go on sale this Thursday.
• The tickets have reportedly doubled in price since the last five-year period, now costing £100,000 ($132,000) each, according to The Guardian's sources.
• That's probably still a bargain, though, as debentures are the only legally transferrable tickets for the tournament, and have been sold at great profit in the past.
• According to The Telegraph, three debentures were resold for more than £123,000 ($162,000) each in April last year despite being bought originally for just £50,000 ($66,000).
• You can apply for debenture tickets on the official Wimbledon website until May 10.

Good news for ultra-wealthy tennis fans - five-year debenture passes for Wimbledon's Centre Court are going on sale this week.

The bad news: they're expected to be double the price they were for the last five-year period (2016-2020).

More good news: that's still probably a bargain.

The 2021-25 Centre Court debentures are expected to cost £100,000 ($132,000) each, according to The Guardian's sources.

Debenture tickets sold by Wimbledon Debenture Holders are the only legally transferrable tickets for the grass-court tennis tournament, meaning you can sell your tickets on individual days should you wish.

"They are the most sought-after tickets in the world," Claire-Estelle Bertrand, the marketing manager for Wimbledon Debenture Holders, told The Guardian. "Not only do they give you the best seats to see the world's best tennis, but they grant you access into a rarefied world to meet other global influencers."

Debenture tickets include access to an exclusive lounge, bars, restaurants, and even a private car park and entrance.

The debenture seating occupies the entire ring around the Royal Box, meaning you might get a glimpse of the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex who attended last year.

Read more: Our favorite new royal duo Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stepped out solo together for the first time

Wimbledon Debenture Holders

Debenture seating on Centre Court.

Debenture tickets have been on sale since 1920 for a total of £100,000 ($5.9 million in today's money) and went towards improving the facilities, which is still the case today.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) told The Guardian: "At least one family has held debentures since inception."

There are reportedly 2,520 debenture tickets going on sale this Thursday, which could generate £250 million ($329 million) for the AELTC.

Wimbledon Debenture Holders and the AELTC did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Aside from rubbing shoulders with the royals, debenture tickets offer a very savvy investment because they can be legally resold either privately or on the stock market.

According to The Telegraph, three debentures were resold for more than £123,000 ($162,000) each in April last year - and that was with only two years left until expiry.

Clive Mason / Getty Images

Watching Nadal play at Wimbledon doesn't come cheap.

The Telegraph also notes that when British tennis star Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final, a pair of top-end seats were listed for £71,000 ($94,000) on a ticket resale site.

Despite the lucrative potential for ticket resale, Alan Higgins, the chief investment officer at Coutts private bank and wealth manager, told The Guardian that most of their clients are passion investors.

"I've yet to come across someone that uses them as a pure investment," he said.

"Typically they are handed down in families from generation to generation, making it very hard for new people to buy them as existing holders get the first right to buy."

He added: "For most people, it is very much a passion investment: they watch a few games, give some tickets to charity and sell some.

"And just because something has been a good investment in the past doesn't mean that it will be in the future. Enjoyment should come first, and if you do make any money that should be the bonus."

You can apply for debenture tickets on the official Wimbledon website until May 10.