Wimbledon: Surprising Traditions You Might Not Know!

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and has been steeped in tradition since the first incarnation in 1877. There are many aspects of Wimbledon that haven’t seen much change over the years and it is through these traditions that Wimbledon upholds its strong identity – sometimes more so than the tennis itself! The team here at Charles Lawrence will definitely be glued to this year’s upcoming tournament, but until then, we’ve put together this list of some of the most interesting Wimbledon traditions that make the tournament what it is today. Rufus the Hawk A relatively new addition to the pantheon of Wimbledon traditions, Rufus the Hawk scoures the grounds scaring away pigeons so that they don’t interfere with proceedings. Rufus took the reigns of official Wimbledon ‘Bird Scarer’ from his predecessor Hamish who began the tradition in 2000. Rufus works year round at Wimbledon but is employed daily for the duration of the tournament. He sweeps the area before play for an hour, released most mornings at 9.00am, and makes the pests aware of his presence, convincing them to roost elsewhere. Rufus’s tenure hasn’t been without incident. In 2012 he was stolen from the back of his owner’s car and wasn’t recovered until three days later, when he was handed into the RSPCA. His only injury was a slightly sore leg. Men’s seeding The seeding system Wimbledon employs is unique in that it doesn’t just take into account ATP ranking points. Wimbledon also considers the players’ past results on grass courts. This can create unpredictable seeding each year and can sometimes mean players are seeded lower than one might expect. However, the system is far from arbitrary. From 2002 Wimbledon has employed a specific formula – in agreement with the ATP – to finalise the top 32 seeds. The formula works as follows: ATP ranking points at time of seeding + all points earned in grass court tournaments in the past 12 months + 75% of the points earned for the player’s best grass performance in the twelve months before that. While it does sound unnecessarily complicated when you write it out like that, it is fittingly unique to the grass tournament of Wimbledon. This seeding system is only used for the men’s seeding, while the women are decided by a seeding committee. Queuing etiquette Perhaps nothing speaks to the dignity of Wimbledon than the official ‘Guide to Queuing’, which outlines rules and regulations pertaining to queuing up for attendance to the tournament. The 25 page guide shows zero tolerance to excessive alcohol consumption and/or ‘drunken behaviour’, and reminds queuers not to start fires or barbecues in the queue. Cutting in line is understandably forbidden and, if you happen to be queuing overnight, tents with maximum accommodation of two people are permitted. But no gazebos. The story of Centre Court Wimbledon’s Centre Court is arguably the most famous tennis court in the world. Centre Court has been in use since 1922 and is defined by its quiet aura and total lack of advertisement signage – maintaining its reverence for the pure sporting nature of the tournament. Centre Court has withstood much since its construction, suffering bomb damage during World War II which destroyed 1,200 seats. While the tournament was not held during the wartime years, Centre Court returned to action in the 1946 tournament despite not being fully repaired. After much discussion and debate, the construction of a retractable roof was finished in 2009 to limit the impact of rain delays and to accommodate night games – if the need arises. Unique scheduling In-keeping with its unique structure is the way tournament matches are scheduled throughout Wimbledon. Firstly, the opening match of the tournament is played on Centre Court by the defending men’s champion, giving the first day of the tournament a special gravitas – and a nice touch of continuity from the previous year. The second day of the tournament is opened by the defending female champion. The middle Sunday of the two week tournament is traditionally seen as a rest day, with play only occurring to make up matches stopped by rain delays. The trophies The Wimbledon trophies are iconic and are a perfect showcase for the history of the tournament. The men’s silver gilt cup ran out of room for the winner’s name to be engraved upon it, so a black plinth with ornamental silver band was designed to accompany the trophy. The pineapple design at the top of the trophy is of unknown origins or reason, but remains to this day. The women’s Rosewater Dish is arguably more prestigious from its design and history. Adorned with mythological figures designed ornately all around the surface, the Rosewater Dish is a replica of an electrotype from a pewter original which resides in the Louvre. Winners don’t gain ownership of the trophies, but they do receive a smaller replica to take home. Strawberries and cream That quintessential British snack. Strawberries and cream have been combined since 1509 and have become not only a British institution, but a Wimbledon one. Together, the snack and the tournament signal the arrival of summer and if you’re on site you won’t be wanting for a taste. Throughout its two weeks Wimbledon manages to get through 7,000 litres of cream and 23 tonnes of strawberries. That’s 2 million individual berries. This tradition began with the very first 1877 tournament, where the snack was served courtside. It is one of the most enduring traditions in the tournament’s history and there’s no sign that it will ever be replaced. The presence of royalty Wimbledon has attracted the attention of the royal eye for over 100 years, with the first visit to the tournament by the Royal Family coming in 1907 when Prince George and Princess Mary of Wales – later KIng George V and Queen Mary – were in attendance. Since 1922 the Royal Box has housed royal spectators and their guests in its 74 seats and has offered a fantastic view of the action. It was a long standing tradition that players should bow/curtsey to the royal attendees when entering and leaving Centre Court, but this was discontinued in 2003 at the behest of the Duke of Kent. The only exceptions now are for when the Queen and Prince Phillip themselves are in attendance. The last time this occurred was in 2010 – the Queen’s first visit to the tournament since 1977 – and, rising to tradition, Andy Murray and his opponent Jarkko Nieminen gave Her Majesty a deep bow before their match. White dress code The striking all white dress code has been a Wimbledon institution since 1890 and has stuck to its guns despite other tournaments relaxing their standards and allowing coloured clothing. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event to enforce an all white dress code, and recent times have not shown any signs of leniency. Quite the opposite in fact. While the dress code stated that players wear “predominantly white” attire, this was tightened in 1995 to “almost entirely white”. The dress code remains strict throughout, not allowing “off white” or “cream”, no “solid mass or panel of colouring” and includes shoes, headbands, wristbands, caps, bandanas and socks. Even medical equipment should be white unless coloured equipment is “absolutely necessary”. The dress code has courted controversy in the past, recently when Roger Federer wore all white trainers save for completely orange soles. He played one match wearing these but was then forced to replace them for future matches. Andre Agassi boycotted the tournament for three years because of his aversion to the strict dress code, but returned in 1991 adorned in regulation total white. He won the tournament a year later. Grass courts Wimbledon remains the only all grass Grand Slam event. Grass is the original surface of the tournament and has remained so through its entire history. While other tournaments have switched to hard or clay courts, grass remains key to Wimbledon, adding a unique aspect to the tournament in modern times with the decline of other grass courts. Wimbledon grass is 100% Perennial Ryegrass, cut to a height of eight millimeters, and was changed from 70% rye/30% red fescue in 2000, to combat wear and tear. Charles Lawrence are experts in tennis court construction providing customers of any budget with an ideal playing surface. Our tennis court installation is renowned nationwide, serving schools, local authorities and LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) affiliated tennis clubs, and we provide a vast array of surfaces so your court can suit your needs. To discuss you tennis court installation, construction and maintenance needs get in touch with Charles Lawrence today.