WIMBLEDON’s decision to change the start time of the men’s singles final to try and grab the biggest TV audience might backfire – as viewers turn over to watch live football.
Multiple Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz – the top two players on the ATP circuit – will face each other on Sunday in the climax to the men’s Championship on Centre Court.
For the first time, the clash has been moved back by TWO HOURS from its normal slot of 2pm to 4pm.
Wimbledon bosses are desperate to have as many eyeballs as possible globally watching the action, particularly in the key US market.
They also argue this decision will give more prominence to the women’s doubles final, which starts before that five-setter, though it is normally played late in the evening in front of sparse crowds.
Yet the Club World Cup Final in New Jersey between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain starts at 8pm on Sunday evening on Channel 5.
And at the same time the Lionesses will continue the defence of their European football title as they take on Wales in their final group match in Switzerland, live on ITV1.
Sinner and Alcaraz played each other in the French Open final in Paris five weeks ago and that lasted five-and-a-half hours as the Spaniard, 22, sensationally came from two sets down to prevail.
Should the Wimbledon final take several hours, and both men have shown supreme form this fortnight as they chase the £3million top prize, then punters may switch off before it finishes to catch the footie.
And, of course, the roof might need to be closed for bad light if the match is still going on past 8.30pm.
This issue of a clash with other major sporting events will become a factor next year when the Fifa World Cup Finals take place in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The later start will also be a factor when the European Championships are staged in the UK in 2028.
Wimbledon chiefs have defended the controversial decision, with CEO Sally Bolton saying: “Adjusting the finals weekend to have the doubles starting at 1pm and singles at 4pm will provide a weekend of excitement.
“Both days will culminate with the singles champions being crowned in front of the largest possible worldwide audience.
“The consideration of this change has taken us a long time to go. There has been a lot of thought and data analysis before altering the finals schedule.
“It’s about ensuring we have an improved experience for all involved.
“We believe we can give an outstanding outcome for everyone from the change.”
Asked if there would ever be flexibility with the timing in future years, Bolton added: “We’ve been up against football and other sporting tournaments before.
“And whilst there’s usually some impact, it’s never caused us a significant amount of concern.
“As we were working through the range of factors in making this decision, clearly that was one of those.
“As with any change we make at the Championships, we are always reviewing the decisions we’ve made, whether they’ve worked, whether we can tweak them.
“So, we’re confident we’ve made the right decision, but as we always do, we will review that after this year’s Championships.”
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