Old Central School, situated in the south west of Wimbledon Common, provided a former pupils football team in the late 19th century which played on the common and used the "Fox and Grapes" public house as a changing room. At first called "The Old Centrals", this club later became Wimbledon F.C.

Lower Putney Common hosted Fulham F.C.'s home games in the 1885/1886 season.

Hampton and Richmond Borough Juniors FC (Colts section of Hampton and Richmond Borough FC of the Conference League) play their home matches at the Richmond Park entrance/Robin Hood roundabout corner of the common on Sunday mornings.

Today, as well as being a fine place for dog walking, joggers and ramblers, the Common is home to The Wimbledon Common Golf Club (Brian James, Secretary - Jeff Jukes, Professional - Emma Pope, Bar Manager) and The London Scottish Golf Club (Steve Barr, Seretary and professional - Katie Campbell, Bar Manager). The first University Golf Match was played on Wimbledon Common in 1878, courtesy of the LSGC. It also is the base for Thames Hare and Hounds, the oldest cross country running club in the world. Wimbeldon common golf club play golf on the common and has done for 100 years. Annually Thames Hare and Hounds host the 1st team (Blues) Varsity cross-country match between Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Wimbledon Common hosts the Wimbledon Common parkrun (formerly Wimbledon Common Time Trial), a 5-km run that takes place every Saturday morning at 9am in Wimbledon Common, Merton. It was introduced by parkrun after the success of Bushy parkrun. taken place every week since January 6, 2007. It is entirely run by volunteers, and is free to enter. Wimbledon Common parkrun is highly rated by the runners who have taken part in it, with a 96% overall rating and 100% reporting that they would take part again, in the Runners World running event survey.[3] The event is reported on a weekly basis by the local press,[4] and the parkrun phenomenon is gaining national exposure.[5]