Boozy businessmen could be a rare sight in Wimbledon this summer, as the financial crisis affects sales of corporate tickets to this year’s tennis championships.

The BBC, which broadcasts the event, has announced it will no longer buy corporate hospitality packages at the two week tournament in a bid to cut costs.

Jonny Perkins, a spokesman for the All England Club, said: “We have to be realistic - there is an effect. But at this stage it’s not huge.”

Mr Perkins said there had been “a slight falling off” in sales of some packages, but 80 per cent of them had been sold already. The drop would be most noticeable in regular visitors coming “for four days rather than five”, Mr Perkins predicted.

He added that the tournament was a “premier” event, and regular visitors would be reluctant to miss out on it even in a financially difficult year.

Last week the BBC - which spent £9,803 on corporate hospitality at the event in 2008 - announced that it would end the practice because of financial pressures. The broadcaster used to entertain politicians, performers and journalists during the two week tournament, but new cost cutting measures mean the practice will be dropped. The decision was revealed by the BBC Trust, the broadcaster’s governing body, last Wednesday.

Top civil servants also came under fire last week for attending lavish corporate events, with the championships singled out as a popular destination.

Last Friday ) a list of hospitality received by top civil servants was released by the Government. Officials that enjoyed trips to the tennis last year included Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup and Sir Brian Bender, the senior official at the department for business.