What’s So Special About The Grass On Wimbledon’s Tennis Courts?

We’re right in the middle of the championships at Wimbledon, but the elite tennis players participating in this two-week competition aren’t the only stars on display.

More than meets the eye

Anyone who’s ever tried to maintain a beautiful yard understands that grass requires significant attention throughout the year. And when spectators from around the world will have their eyes trained on a particular patch of green, the stakes are especially high.

Wimbledon’s head of horticulture has to anticipate just about anything in the lead-up to the annual competition on the courts he’s tasked with overseeing. For example, he was in charge back in 2010 when the longest match on record took place between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

The grass took quite a beating over the course of that game, but Neil Stubley ensured that it was up to the task.

He and his team take steps throughout the year to instill confidence in the players that they’ll have the optimal surface on which to demonstrate their skills.

“Next year’s championship starts the day after the last one finishes,” he explained.

Where art meets science

Private members of the All England Club, which hosts Wimbledon, are also frequently playing on the grass Stubley cares for, and their expectations are similarly high. So there’s no room for error when he calculates exactly what type of grass is best suited to the field and what it needs to thrive.

“We’ll look at how the baselines are wearing and how hard the courts have been by doing daily checks where each of our 38 courts will be measured 24 times each day, meaning nearly 20,000 readings across The Championships,” Stubley explained.

It’s a lot of work that most people won’t notice … but those who do understand how important it is.

Chris Agee July 8th, 2024

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