Center Court, the ‘heart’ of Wimbledon, know how it started and what is its specialty!

‘Wimbledon’ is the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the game of tennis. Wimbledon was organized for the first time in the year 1877. In this popular tournament played on grass, the center court is given special importance. Center Court is also called the ‘heart’ of Wimbledon, where many of the tournament’s historic matches have been played.

When Wimbledon started, a grid pattern was laid out on the court for its first event. However, in 1881, these two courts were merged to form one main court, which was located exactly in the center and since then it was named Center Court. Center Court dates back to 1922, when the Wimbledon Championships moved to its new premises at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Center Court is used only for two weeks throughout the year during Wimbledon. This court is taken special care of throughout the year for these two weeks. The utmost focus is placed on ensuring that the quality of the center court grass remains at its best. For the center court, only perennial rye grass is used, the length of which is mostly kept at 8 millimeters only.

There is also a Royal Box arrangement in the Central Court of Wimbledon. This special royal box has a special tradition. The British royal family and other special guests are seated in this box during the match. In 2009, a state-of-the-art retractable (pull-in) roof was installed to protect the Wimbledon matches from rain. With its help, in case of rain, the match can be organized by closing the open roof within 10 minutes.

Most of the big and historic matches of Wimbledon are played on the Center Court, which includes the men’s and women’s singles title matches. It is mandatory for players to wear white clothes to play on the center court. Along with this, it is not allowed to put up any kind of commercial advertisement boards around the court. This is done to maintain the traditional form of the court.

Many memorable Wimbledon matches have been played on Center Court. Former tennis legend Roger Federer has won his 8 titles on this court. Along with this, in the year 2008, the historic final match between Federer and Rafael Nadal was also played on this court. Center Court also witnessed the longest singles final match in Wimbledon history between Novak Djokovic and Federer in 2019.

Center Court is not just a tennis court, but an important part of sports history. Winning here is considered one of the biggest achievements in any player’s career. This is the reason why whenever Wimbledon is talked about, the name of Center Court is taken first. This court is a platform of tradition, respect and great competitions, whose shine remains intact even today.