Seven secrets of Wimbledon from underground tunnels to Rufus the Hawk and the code word for A-list celebs like Beckham
WIMBLEDON is the pinnacle of the sporting summer in Britain.
All eyes of the tennis world focus on the All England Club as they host the Championships.
We all know about the history and the grandeur of Wimbledon.
The champions of years gone by.
The luscious grass courts.
The strawberries. The cream. The Pimm’s.
But there is more to Wimbledon than meets the eye – so let SunSport take you behind the scenes and reveal the hidden secrets of the greatest tennis tournament in the world.
HAWK ON PATROL
Have you ever seen a pigeon at Wimbledon or when watching the tennis on the telly? Rarely, if ever, do birds interrupt the sporting spectacle.
And that is down to Rufus.
Rufus the Hawk rocks up at the All England Club at 5am on each day of the tournament and flies around the grounds, scaring off any plucky pigeons or unwanted vermin daring to cause a scene and grab their moment in the spotlight.
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Rufus also works for the likes of Lord’s Cricket Ground, Westminster Abbey and Fulham Football Club.
However, disaster struck one year when Rufus was stolen from owner Wayne Davis’ car – only to be dumped on Wimbledon Common later on, probably when the thieves realised he wasn’t a stash of cash.
TUNNEL VISION
Wonder how the players and staff get around when they are 40,000-plus fans on site? Wonder no more!
There is a complex maze of underground tunnels at the All England Club connecting all corners of the grounds.
The tunnels opened in 1997 and include passages to get to and from No1 Court, the changing rooms and various hidden rooms out of sight from the public.
NEW BALLS PLEASE
One of those rooms is the underground ball bunker.
Wimbledon uses approximately 53,000 Slazenger tennis balls during the fortnight – yellow thanks to David Attenborough’s intervention.
And they are meticulously stored at precisely 20C to maximise consistency when used.
Too warm and the balls will bounce too much, too cold and they won’t bounce enough.
And if you want to get your hands on any, either show good hands and take a catch in the crowd after a match – or pay for used balls with proceeds going to the Wimbledon Foundation.
PLEASE NEVER CHANGING ROOMS
Plenty of players heap praise on the All England Club for one thing the fans never get to see: the dressing rooms.
There are actually two sets of changing rooms for both the ladies and gentlemen – the members’ locker room and the Championships locker room.
The top seeds get special treatment with spaces reserved, while there is all manner of special treatment in place for the tennis stars.
That includes sofas, magazines, putting holes with golf balls, a mini basketball hoop, the “greatest showers in the world” and even attendants ready to run the bath.
If that’s not motivation to stay in the tournament for as long as possible, I don’t know what is.
CELEB SPOTTING
Of course, the main attractions at Wimbledon are those pampered players.
But the tournament also lures plenty of A-list celebrities – from royals and sports stars to actors and musicians to politicians and TV personalities.
The likes of Wills and Kate, Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt, the Lionesses and David Beckham were all in attendance in the Royal Box in 2023.
And that means there is a massive operation in place to keep the VIPs protected and safe when enjoying their day out.
But rather than the security guards referencing them by name, they use the phrase “full jug of Pimm’s” to refer to big-time celebs.
HENRY VIII’S VERY BERRY IMPACT
But whether you’re a celeb, a regular punter or even a player, one thing unites us all at Wimbledon: yes, it’s the strawberries.
Nothing screams British summer more than a punnet of strawberries and cream watching the tennis.
Wimbledon is the largest single catering operation in Europe – but getting the strawberries right is the priority.
Around 250,000 portions are sold each year – making that 2.5million strawberries – at £2.50.
The berries are Grade One quality and get picked at 4am from a farm in Kent then packaged up and collected at 9am ready for inspection then hulling and are sold at the All England Club the very same day.
But did you know the strawberry tradition dates back to King Henry VIII who used to enjoy munching on the fruit as a snack when watching tennis at Hampton Court Palace in the 1500s?
GRASS ALWAYS GREENER
Arguably the biggest task in tennis is getting the living grass courts absolutely perfect for all 14 days of the tournament – and all 18 Championship courts plus the 20 practice ones need to be identical.
The grass is cut to a very exact length of 8mm and a company comes in and does various tests to ensure the courts are up to scratch.
The horticulture team also source a whopping 20,000 different types of plants – ranging from South-West London to all over Europe with 30,000 petunias.
Former head groundsman Grant Cantin told SunSport: “As any groundsman will tell you whether it’s tennis, golf, football or boules, we are dictated by the weather. Mother Nature ultimately rules on what happens.
“Centre Court is the most famous piece of grass in the world.
“I always get asked if Centre Court gets a bit more love and care. The answer is: yes it does get a lot of love and care but so does every other court.
“We have to have the same playing conditions on every court. That’s the tough balancing act because every court is different. A lot of the courts are of different age, some are in stadia, some are out in the open, some have shade.
“A grass court is a living, breathing surface. Grass is like you and me, it does need to drink so we do have to water the court.”