The Wimbledon Championships have come and gone this year, with Carlos Alcaraz taking the gentlemen’s singles title with a win over Novak Djokovic. Barbora Krejčíková won the ladies’ singles title by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final. Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten, Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend, and Jan Zieliński and Hsieh Su-wei claimed the gentlemen’s, ladies’, and mixed doubles titles, respectively.
As the oldest tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon emphasizes the importance of tradition. The inaugural tournament was held in July 1877 on the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, where all 137 editions of The Championships have been played. Compared to the other Grand Slam tournaments (e.g., the U.S. Open, French Open, and Australian Open), the Wimbledon dress code is much more formal, with players required to dress (mostly) in all-white. The men’s and women’s competitions are referred to as “gentlemen’s” and “ladies'” singles or doubles. The royal family are patrons of the event, and players are expected to bow or curtsy to the King or the Prince of Wales if they are present in the Royal Box.
The tennis balls used at Wimbledon are also the subject of a long-running tradition. Since 1902, they have been supplied by Slazenger, marking the oldest sponsorship in sports history. The balls, which are manufactured in Bataan, in the Philippines, are carefully tested to ensure that their weight, size, compression, internal pressure, and exterior fibers are all identical and are good enough for Wimbledon’s exacting standards.
Storing the balls also requires adhering to very strict temperature guidelines. Before being brought out for use, they are stored in pressurized tubes in a refrigerated cupboard in the Ball Distribution Office in Centre Court to guarantee optimal performance. The constant temperature of 68°F (20°C) ensures that all of the balls will behave the same. Warm tennis balls are much bouncier than cool ones, due to the expansion of the gas molecules inside the rubber ball’s core.
Around 55,000 tennis balls are used during the tournament. This staggeringly large number is needed because new balls are introduced after the first seven games and then after every nine subsequent games. Many of the used balls are sold to spectators, with the proceeds going to the Wimbledon Foundation.
Berries, balls, broadcasts, and more:
- The materials in a Wimbledon tennis ball come from 11 different countries, including clay from South Carolina, U.S.; rubber from Malaysia; wool from New Zealand; glue from the Philippines; silica from Greece; and sulfur from South Korea.
- Wimbledon tennis balls were traditionally white until 1986, when they were given their current yellow covering, greatly improving their visibility in TV broadcasts.
- Another notable tradition for Wimbledon spectators is to eat strawberries and cream. In 2019, nearly 192,000 portions were served during the two-week tournament.
- The longest professional tennis match in history was played over three days at Wimbledon in 2010. With a total playing time of 11 hours and five minutes, John Isner of the United States eventually defeated Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68, with the final set lasting more than eight hours. One hundred and twenty-three tennis balls were used in the match.
- The 2024 Wimbledon Championships was the first Wimbledon since 1996 without either Serena or Venus Williams appearing at the tournament.
