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The origins of the most important tennis tournament of the year are legendary. It was first held in 1877 when the lawn roller of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club broke down. At ten pounds, the repair was very expensive for the time. This is how the idea was born to use the registration fees to hold a competition to finance the roller. That was the birth of the Lawn Tennis Championships, of which Blick has listed the most important facts here.
The sacred turf
As with everything in Wimbledon, there are also precise rules for the surface. The “sacred lawn” on which Roger Federer won his eight titles may only be entered by players, ball kids and some officials. Anyone who does not follow the rules will be thrown out of the system. To ensure that the green is wonderfully playable, 15 people work on the tournament. During the championships there are even 28. They all ensure that the conditions are perfect on the 18 championship courses and 20 training courses. Including of course: the Center Court, designed for 15,000 seats, a total of nine tons of grass seed is distributed annually. The height of the stems is also fixed: they may not be higher than 8 millimetres.
The dress code
Nowhere are the dress codes as strict as at Wimbledon. The participants must be dressed head to toe — 90 percent — in white. Small color nuances are allowed, but for example only a border of a maximum width of one centimeter. For 2023, the organizers have relaxed the rules a bit, at least for women. After protests from some participants who had to wear white during their menstruation, the regulations no longer apply with immediate effect. Means: Specifically, it concerns the underwear of the players. Dark panties are now allowed if they are no longer than the skirt or diaper pants. For the rest, the rules are and remain strict. Roger Federer, who played with an orange shoe sole in 2013, who was then promptly suspended, also had this experience.
The strawberries
Wimbledon without strawberries – unimaginable! A serving of strawberries with whipped cream is a must for anyone visiting the facility during the tournament. All berries come from Hugh Low Farms in Kent, a family business that dates back to 1893. By comparison, in 2022, the organizers sold a whopping 250,000 servings. That corresponds to 2.5 million strawberries and 11,500 liters of cream. Strawberries are said to have come into fashion in Victorian England – and that’s how they caught on at Wimbledon.
The golden pineapple
A strawberry on top of the Wimbledon trophy? Would make sense, but it isn’t. It’s a pineapple. It’s not clear why she graces the men’s trophy (the women’s winner gets a bowl). Some say it is based on a maritime tradition. Others think it is a former status symbol.
The royal chest
They are the very special seats in Center Court, dark green and 80 in number. The Royal Box is used by members of the royal family. Until 2003, players had to bow to them. Since then, this tradition has been abandoned – with the exception of King Charles III. personally attended a match. The same was true of Queen Elizabeth II, who died last year. Only her visits to Wimbledon were relatively rare – the last one dates from 2010. Before that she was also on the ground in 1957, 1962 and 1977.
The legendary record
Epic Wimbledon duels are a thing of the past. In 2019, the organizers introduced a tiebreak in the fifth set. In the final round, when the score is 12:12, play will not continue until one of the players has a two point lead. Crazy: In 2010, American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut wrote tennis history with their eternal match in the first round. Isner won after three days and a playing time of eleven hours and five minutes – with 70:68 in the fifth set. A plaque on the facility still commemorates the legendary June 22-24, 2010 game on track number 18.
The ball kids
Anyone who is a “Ball Girl” or “Ball Boy” at Wimbledon gets a big honor. This should look good on a CV in the UK. The children come from neighboring schools and have to go through a strict selection process. Each year about 250 are selected from about 1000 applicants. Some of them may remain in service for two years. On average, they are 15 years old and start training in February. The best get the highest task: six teams of six are chosen for the games on the “Centre Court” and “No.1 Court”.
The guard
He makes sure the skies above Wimbledon are clean: desert hawk Rufus is the secret star of Wimbledon. His falconer sends him on a tour of the facility every morning so that the fields don’t get polluted by pigeons or the players and fans don’t get bothered.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
