THE Great British summer often does its best to ruin matches at Wimbledon.
After regular rain delays throughout the Wimbledon tournament’s history the All England Club finally decided enough was enough – and got a roof.
Why was the Centre Court roof at Wimbledon installed?
Unpredictable weather at the Wimbledon tournament has a long history of leaving not only fans but players, the media and officials frustrated.
With wet weather forecasted for the first week of Wimbledon 2024, players will be thankful for the Centre Court roof.
The All England Club had rejected the proposal of the roof previously, on numerous occasions.
But pressure from broadcasters as well as commercial viability meant the roof finally got the go-ahead.
The then-All England Club chairman, Tim Phillips, said: “We owe it to tennis fans to investigate all the possibilities for play to take place even if it is raining.”
He added that the “microclimate” under the roof must not affect the grass growth or player’s safety.
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on grass.
In 1996, Sir Cliff famously sang for the crowd, while the 2008 men’s final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal went on for a massive 4 hours 48 minutes, largely due to wet weather.
When was the Centre Court roof at Wimbledon installed?
Building work began in 2006, with the initial removal of the existing roof.
The complete retractable roof structure was ready for the 2009 championships after its unveiling in April that year.
How long is the delay when the Centre Court roof at Wimbledon is closed?
The roof, designed from waterproof Tenara fabric, takes about 10 minutes to close.
According to the Wimbledon website the maximum time it takes to close and for play to start is 30 minutes.
The air conditioning needs time to acclimatise to indoor play.
The air con dries the grass to prevent slippage and injury.
The speed of the roof closing means that fans don’t need to rapidly put on wet weather gear and players don’t need to rush off court.
Can the Centre Court roof at Wimbledon be re-opened?
Once closed, tournament rules say it must remain shut until the match is completed, even if the weather improves in the meantime.
However the roof closing in the evening due to failing light does not mean the match continues until it finishes.
Wimbledon has a curfew of 11pm, meaning any match underway must finish by this time.
The match will resume the next day, and can do so without the roof.
When was the Centre Court roof at Wimbledon first used?
The roof was first tested on May 17, 2009, in an exhibition match.
On June 29, 2009, in a fourth round ladies singles match between Amelie Mauresmo and Dinara Safina, the roof was closed for the first time in a competitive match – play had already begun when the rain came.
The first time a full match was played with the roof closed was contested in the 2009 championships, when Andy Murray beat Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round of the men’s singles competition.
The match went on until 10.38pm, which exceeded the existing record of 9.17pm.
The first Wimbledon final to be partially played under the roof was when Federer beat Murray in four sets in July 2012.
How much does the Centre Court roof weigh and how much does it cost?
The total weight of the roof, including the non-moving parts, is 3,000 tonnes.
The cost of the roof has not been disclosed by the All England Club, but is estimated at £80-£100 million.
A roof on Court One was finished for the 2019 tournament.
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