Tennis: What makes Wimbledon so special?

Wimbledon, the world's oldest tennis tournament, is held annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London. In 2009, its Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to reduce the amount of playing time lost to rain. There are 18 courts used for the championships (and 22 practice courts). Preparing a court takes 15 months and 9 tons of grass seed.

The royal box, in the stands of Centre Court, offers the best view of the action. King George V was the first royal guest at the Wimbledon Championships in 1907. In recent years, Princess Catherine and Prince William have regularly attended the tournament.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, took over the award ceremonies in 2022. For 52 years, Edward, Duke of Kent, accompanied by his wife, did the honors — until 2001. Edward served as president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which hosts the championships, from 1969 until 2021.

In modern sports, where advertising dominates team kits and color is everywhere, there is something brilliant about the fact that the kits of Wimbledon players must be 90% white. White does not include cream or off-white, just white. Originally, it was to avoid sweat showing. Andre Agassi's wild taste was tamed in the 1990s, while Roger Federer's orange-soled shoes weren't part of the code.

Long before the ball girls and boys walk out onto the courts of Wimbledon, they go through a strict selection process. The 14 to 18-year-olds undergo five months of drills, during which they are taught how to roll balls perfectly and pass towels correctly. Every year, only 250 out of 1,000 applicants make the cut.

Who is playing against whom, when and in which round on which court? At a tournament the size of Wimbledon, where the singles, doubles and mixed competitions are played, it's not easy to keep track of everything. At Church Road, however, nothing is left to chance or a computer — the board is always kept up to date by hand.

Apart from the green grass and the white kit, the other color often seen at Wimbledon is red. Strawberries and cream are a favorite dish. During the 14 days of the tournament, spectators eat 28,000 kilograms of strawberries and 10,000 liters of fresh cream. Add to that the 320,000 glasses of Pimm's, 29,000 bottles of champagne and 25,000 scones, it's no surprise Wimbledon is awesome.