All those with Wimbledon tickets are furious that the All England Club is refusing to adopt the new style of Grand Slams, started by the Australian Open, to extend the tournament for 15 days.
The US Open recently announced it would follow in the footsteps of the Australian and French Opens by extending the event to 15 days, with a Sunday start.
Tim Henman, an All England Club board member, has already confirmed there are “zero” plans for Wimbledon to follow suit, but fans aren’t happy.
Wimbledon will now be the only Major tournament to stick to a 14-day schedule. The event used to take a break on what was known as the ‘middle Sunday’ and previously lasted 13 days.
It only became a fully-fledged two-week event in 2022, and the AELTC has no plans to add another day to the programme.
“It was a big decision to go to 14 days, and that has worked well,” Henman recently said. “So I think the appetite to go to 15 days is zero. First and foremost, because of the courts.”
However, those with Wimbledon tickets want Wimbledon to reverse its decision. I asked whether the tournament should follow the other slams, which lasted 15 days, and 63% said yes.
It’s unlikely their wishes will be answered, as Henman explained that the quality of the grass courts could become compromised if more tennis was played on them.
“When it was a 13-day event, the Middle Sunday was absolutely about really watering the court to make sure that it was still going to be alive for the latter part of the tournament,” he explained.
“And Centre Court ” gets played on the most because it’s used every day. Having it in the best possible condition for the final weekend was a big decision, so it was 14 days.
“So all the research and data around that, you’re looking at 80 hours of tennis on Centre Court. That’s the sort of maximum optimal amount of time.”
The move to extend to 15 days with the tournament starting on a Sunday will increase the fan appeal and invite more fans to purchase Wimbledon tickets, but the traditional approach to this decision means that it will take a year or two for change.
Novak-Murray Partnership to Go Until Wimbledon
According to reports, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have agreed to continue their partnership until Wimbledon. Djokovic’s once-great rival and three-time Grand Slam champion, including at Wimbledon, Murray joined his team as a coach for the Australian Open, and the duo looked in great spirits throughout the tournament.
When Djokovic announced the collaboration, he said it was on a trial period, and they would evaluate how it went and decide after the Australian Open. It had successful results, considering how far he got and the players he beat at the Australian Open. It was a tough draw for Djokovic in Melbourne, but he got better with every match until the injury forced him to retire against Alexander Zverev.
The win against Carlos Alcaraz was proof enough that this partnership was working out for Djokovic; he knows he needs someone to help him game plan against these younger and now much quicker guys.
Motivation is also a major aspect for Djokovic in this career stage, which he sometimes lacked in 2024. However, during the Australian Open, he looked very animated and up for the fight, and Murray’s presence might have contributed to this.
Djokovic was also able to be himself during the matches, and Murray looked like he enjoyed his success, too; at times, it appeared that Djokovic adopted tactics suggested by Murray in his matches, including using the backhand slice shot more, a highlight of Andy’s game.
Undoubtedly, Djokovic and Murray will have the biggest goal of winning a Slam together.
Now that Djokovic looks motivated and Murray is beside him, his biggest problem is his body’s inability to hold up for an entire Grand Slam, something it didn’t do at the Australian Open.
Djokovic has previously said that he intends to play more tournaments this year than last year, which is necessary to stay in peak shape, but each of those other tournaments also adds more wear and tear. A right balance would be key for the former world No.1.
Tencent Takes Wimbledon to China
Tencent has secured a three-year deal to bring Wimbledon coverage to its platforms in China, marking the start of a more strategic partnership.
Tencent will bring the tennis championship to viewers in China on its digital media and social platforms, including Tencent Video, Tencent Sports, WeChat, Tencent News, qq.com, and QQ. The deal covers live broadcasts and replays, on-demand coverage, and highlights.
It was secured with IMG on behalf of the All England Club, which stages The Championships, Wimbledon.
Paul Davies, associate director of broadcast, production and media rights at the All England Club, said: “We are delighted to be working with Tencent to showcase all the thrilling action from Wimbledon to tennis fans in China. Led by Olympic gold medalist and Grand Slam finalist Zheng Qinwen, China has a host of rising tennis talent looking to make their mark on tour. Whether it is live broadcast, match replays, highlights or features, Tencent’s multimedia platforms will ensure fans won’t miss a moment of their favourite players at Wimbledon.”
Jeff Han, VP of Tencent Online Video, added: “An increasing number of people in China are paying attention to and participating in tennis. The cooperation between the All England Club and Tencent will help drive a new wave of tennis enthusiasm. We hope that through the broadcast of Wimbledon and high-quality content, more users will experience the charm of this century-old tournament up close.”
To the outside, it looks like a simple broadcasting deal, but with Chinese tennis star Qinwen Zheng now emerging as a top contender in the sport, aiming at the world’s #1 spot, there will be an increase in Chinese tennis fans in the next two years.
We could also expect more Chinese fans to bid for Wimbledon tickets.