Wimbledon has almost arrived, with the world’s leading tennis players in London for the third Grand Slam of the year.
The grass-court season is now fully underway, with the hard courts of the Australian Open and clay courts of the French Open having been and gone.
Organisers in London have been working hard to get things spot on for the iconic competition, although they could be dealt a huge blow should several big names miss out.
Former world number one Novak Djokovic is among eight high-profile stars across the men’s and women’s game who may not make it.
Another ace who could miss out due to injury is two-time champion Andy Murray, although Judy Murray has not ruled out the presence of her son at the tournament.
John McEnroe backs Wimbledon decision that Andy Murray disagrees with
Along with their injury issues, both Murray and Djokovic could be forced to deal with a separate issue at Wimbledon should they play in the tournament.
As reported by The Times, both players have called for an earlier start to the day’s play to reduce the chances of the playing conditions changing throughout the match.
This relates to the third slot on Centre Court, which often does not get underway before 8pm, with conditions potentially changing to a floodlit roof midway through the match.
Tennis legend John McEnroe is, however, unsympathetic, and agrees with the All England Club’s decision to stick with a 1.30pm start at the main stadium.
“Welcome to the world of tennis,” said McEnroe, as per The Times. “There are times when there is uncertainty.
“There used to be more uncertainty when you didn’t know if you would play at all if it rained and there was no roof.
“This idea that playing half under the roof and half open air is a hell of a lot better. I wish I had a roof when I played, let’s put it that way.
“The BBC, for example, and the All England Club are like, ‘Hey, sometimes people like to watch it at 8pm or 9pm when the ratings are great.’
“People have sat down after a long hard day at work and maybe want to watch some tennis, so it’s not the worst thing to play into the evening. You’re trying to find that sweet spot. It’s not always easy to get it right.”
Will Wimbledon have similar issues to the French Open?
Making the transition from clay to grass is never easy, particularly with the busy schedule across the ATP and WTA tours.
But dealing with different playing conditions during a single match is extremely tricky, although often unavoidable given the state of play at Wimbledon.
Weather is also certain to play a factor over the coming weeks, with the recent French Open having been heavily impacted by rain.
The tournament in Paris also drew plenty of criticism for the late finishes, with Djokovic particularly impacted in that regard after his third round clash with Lorenzo Musetti ended at 3am.
Players will certainly not want a repeat of that at Wimbledon, where hopefully the matches will take centre stage.
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