By Sherry Benz
Tennis Talk 2022-08-04
Watching Wimbledon was so engaging! Here is some trivia about the tournament.
All white: Wimbledon rules state that all players must be dressed almost entirely in white. This dates back to Victorian times when sweating was considered improper and white clothing did not show the perspiration as much. Andre Agassi refused to play in the tournament in 1988-1990 as a boycott against the dress code. He relented in 1992 when he won the tournament. Roger Federer got into trouble for having orange soles on his shoes! Umpires can ask a player to change if they don’t meet the dress code. In the last tournament a female player came to the courts wearing a black bra which showed through her white top. Yep, she had to change. How did Kyrios get away with a red hat at the ceremonies?
Surface: Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam that is played on grass courts and during the event, the grass is cut to a height of exactly 8 mm. Wimbledon has its own Hawk named Rufus whose job it is to scare away pigeons each morning from the tennis courts.
Balls: 54,250 tennis balls are used during the tournament. The balls are replaced after every seven to nine games to make sure they’re in perfect shape throughout the match. Those not in use are stored in a refrigerated container to keep them in tip-top condition.
Lucky Loser: Some questioned why Fritz could not come under the “lucky loser” ruling when Nadal pulled out of the tournament due to injury. This only applies to a player who loses in a qualifying round. If Nadal knew he couldn’t play the semi-final match, he could have withdrawn handing the victory to Fritz, but he was hopeful to see another day.
The trophy: The winner does not get to keep the trophy. It remains on display at the All England Club’s museum but, the winner receives a small replica. The French Open and Australian Open also give a replica of the trophy to the winner. The US Open is the only tournament where the trophy goes home with the winner and may be kept for a year.
Djokovic’s daughter: Novak’s daughter was seen in the ceremonies, but could not attend the match. Wimbledon has a rule that does not admit children under age 5