The Times - UK (2020-06-29)

52 2GM Monday June 29 2020 | the times

SportTennis

5

feel like that because it means you

care and are focused. If I ever get to

day one of the championships and

don’t feel like that, I think I would be

more worried.

It’s really nice to walk around the

grounds, hearing people muttering

and commenting about the courts,

asking each other, “Is it real? Is it

artificial grass?” It is just an

opportunity to showcase what you

do all year, and there are not many

jobs in which you can do that to the

rest of the world.

rick broadbent

Times sports writer

I love Wimbledon because it makes

me think of Björn Borg. Clive James

once opined that Borg was like a

Volvo in that he was rugged, had good

after-sales service and was very dull.

I didn’t care. Borg was more exotic

than Stan Smith and was the type of

Norse love god you never saw as a kid

at Elland Road. I can’t remember ever

hearing him speak or seeing him

park, and sure enough she had a tale

to tell about a bike. No, no, tell me

what Murray’s triumph means, I

demanded, and to my surprise she

welled up at the emotion of it all,

hugged me and congratulated me on

being British, something that has not

happened too often in my life.

neil stubley

Head groundsman of

the All England Club

The first day brings to an end 12

months of work, from the end of the

championships the year before, in

which we get the courts ready. There

is the peak of all the stress and worry

over winter and spring, bringing it all

together for day one. You wait for that

first ball to be hit on Centre Court to

make you feel a little more at ease.

I would equate the emotions to

going to an interview for a new job.

There is a mix of excitement and

nervousness. I do still get a knot in

the stomach, but I think I have also

learnt over the years to embrace it

and realise that it’s a good thing to

to simply walk up to the gates, flash

an accreditation badge and walk

straight into the fabled All England

Club. I think about and admire the

dedication of tennis fans across the

road in the queue at Wimbledon

Park, some of whom camp for three

nights in order to claim one of the

sought-after Centre Court tickets.

It will feel very different this

morning not to be standing on the

balcony and watching thousands of

excited people enter the grounds at

10.30am, dashing off in different

directions, some to the courts, some

to the hill and some to the bars for an

early start.

I will also miss the rush of

adrenaline at 11am when play starts

and matches suddenly start popping

up on the screen at my desk, and the

respectful round of applause on

Centre Court at 1pm when the

defending men’s champion emerges

onto the pristine grass. I am counting

down the 364 days already.

marijana veljovic

Portuguese umpire who

officiated last year’s

Wimbledon women’s

singles final

The day brings a sense of excitement

but also a rush. The morning is

always busy for umpires because we

have meetings before the start of play.

But after this the feeling of getting to

the court for your first match beats

everything, and sitting down in the

chair brings calmness, focus and

expectation. There is also the sight of

the respective crowds coming in to

find their seats.

I always experience joy to be

at Wimbledon once again. But this

year I will miss the view of that fresh

green grass on the first sunny and

breezy day.

alyson rudd

Times sports writer

In 2013 I ghosted the column Martina

Navratilova wrote for The Times. As

soon as Andy Murray had sealed

victory, ending that 77-year wait,

I dashed off to find the nine-times

Wimbledon champion, but she was

not in the TV studio as arranged.

Time was of the essence and I found

myself running around the All

England Club shouting, “Anyone see

Martina?” They had, and so I

embarked on a sort of treasure hunt,

which ended with the clue: “I think

she’s in the car park sorting out a

bicycle.” Really? I headed to the car

the late evenings, the five-set

rollercoasters, the atmosphere, the

cheers going around the grounds and

the noise from the crowd watching

the big screen on Henman Hill. I still

can’t believe it’s not happening this

year. It’s hard to get your head

around. It’s really sad.

richard lewis

Chief executive of the

All England Club

It is a culmination of a year’s

planning, preparation and hard work,

all coming together in one place at

the same time. There is a huge team

working flat out to deliver the best

possible experience for everyone

attending, and there is much job

satisfaction, despite the long and

exhausting hours.

It is always exciting after the build-

up — the grass-court tournaments,

qualifying and the players arriving on

site for practice week — to finally

have things get going and the main

event under way.

But there is also a feeling of

apprehension. Although we have a

very high percentage of returning

staff each year, there are still a lot of

people working at Wimbledon for the

first time. There are always a few

glitches on the first day, especially

as we always have new or refurbished

facilities being used to the maximum

for the first time.

I will miss seeing the general public

having a wonderful time. It is great

being part of delivering something

that gives so much pleasure and

excitement to so many people. And

I will also miss the Monday after it is

all over.

stuart fraser

Times Tennis

Correspondent

There is an overwhelming sense of

relief in the morning. The three

weeks between the French Open and

Wimbledon is an intense and frenzied

period in which a tennis journalist is

pulled in all directions. There are

several tournaments to cover during

the British grass-court season, from

Queen’s to Eastbourne, and many

interviews and features to produce as

part of preview material for the

championships. So it actually feels

quite pleasant to know that for a

fortnight you will mainly be confined

to the same seat on Centre Court and

the same desk in the press centre.

When arriving, I like to remind

myself how fortunate I am to be able

‘I’ll miss so much this year

petra kvitova
Two-times Wimbledon
champion from Czech
Republic

The first day of Wimbledon is
something very special to me. When
I arrive at the All England Club, I can
feel the history. I see the gates, the
outside courts, the locker room and
then Centre Court. Everything comes
back to my mind that morning of how
I felt when I won the tournament
in 2011 and 2014. These are nice
emotions for me. I also love the sense
of humour of English people.
Everyone is so friendly, yet also
professional and strict with the rules.
I will miss so much this year.
The beautiful grass, the feelings
from playing on the big stage, the
strawberries and cream, the village
and the rented house where we
always stay. Wimbledon has always
felt like home.

jamie delgado
Coach of Andy Murray
and played Wimbledon
23 years in a row

It is one of the best days in the tennis
calendar. Everyone is in a positive
mood, with a mixture of excitement,
nerves and hope. There is a lot of
anticipation in the morning, which
you can feel in the air. Everything
during the grass season gears up
towards Wimbledon, and then you
are finally there. The sensations are
heightened at the All England Club.
It is a day like no other.
The feelings build up during the
practice week. The pressure
intensifies, not just for the players but
also the coaches because ultimately
the grand-slam performances are
what defines the year. Many decisions
are made leading up to the first day,
involving practice sessions and
strategy. Now it’s time to get it done.
I will miss the opportunity of seeing
Andy play singles on Centre Court for
the first time since 2017. It’s been a
huge goal for him to perform at the
slams again and it doesn’t get any
bigger than Wimbledon. He was
really looking forward to coming back
in front of his home crowd, playing
on a surface and in conditions that
he likes. With everything that has
happened because of his hip, it would
have been incredible for him to return
this year.

annabel croft
Former British No 1 and
television pundit

There is such buzz and excitement in
the morning. The atmosphere is just
different at Wimbledon because of
the nature of the event, the history
and what it means. When I walk
through the gates, I always wonder
who will be holding the trophies at
the end of the two weeks.
There are a lot of strong emotions
for me. Every year on the first day
I feel this weird nervous energy going
through me. It’s almost as if my body
is taking over, which probably stems
from all the nerves I had when
I played there in the 1980s.
Wimbledon is something that so
many of us have grown up with, so
I will miss the matches on the grass,

Wimbledon’s cancellation has deprived us all of a highlight of the sporting

summer, but for many that loss is personal. On what would have been the

first day of the championships, players, fans and staff share their memories
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL

The hallowed grass courts of Wimbledon won’t be busy again until next year

Evans retrieves a forehand

during his win over Edmund

which brought him the Battle

of the Brits trophy, inset