Wimbledon's head groundsman Neil Stubley has detailed the extraordinary measures being taken to protect the grass courts as a record-breaking heatwave hits London days before the tournament begins. Temperatures are forecast to reach 39C on Thursday, a new UK record for June, prompting the closure of roofs on Centre Court and Court One.
Unprecedented Heat Prompts Roof Closure and Air Conditioning
Neil Stubley, who has overseen Wimbledon's courts for 30 championships, described the current heatwave as "unprecedented." To combat the scorching conditions, the roofs over Centre Court and Court One will be closed, and air conditioning will be turned on to lower the temperature to a much cooler 25C. Stubley joked that spectators will flock to these courts "because everybody will be trying to get out of the sun."
The grass is being watered twice as much as usual to prevent it from drying out. Stubley noted that he is "quite relaxed" about the heat, preferring it now rather than later in the tournament. However, he expressed concern that sustained heat could trigger thunderstorms, as seen across southern England on Tuesday night, which would require covering the courts to control moisture.
Year-Round Preparation and Meticulous Maintenance
Preparation for Wimbledon begins months in advance, with all courts renovated in August and September. The courts are 100% rye grass, chosen for its durability, and six tons of seed are used annually. Over the 14 days of the championships, the health of the grass courts is checked nearly 6,100 times. The baselines are inspected for live grass and wear some 31,200 times, while the correct ball bounce height is verified on more than 1,800 occasions.
Stubley leads an 18-member full-time team, supplemented by 13 additional staff during the championships and grass court season. The team includes experts from Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, bringing diverse experience from different sports. "Every day is a kind of school day when you're learning, not only from other people, but having to do things ourselves with the weather and everything else," Stubley said.
Advanced Irrigation Systems Target Specific Areas
Each of the 18 championship courts and 20 practice courts has its own unique irrigation system. The technology allows ground staff to target specific areas of the grass using iPads. Each court has six irrigation heads that can be individually programmed. "We know that with the bar pressure that we've got, and the size of the nozzle and the irrigation heads, we know exactly how many litres of water we can put on and then that correlates to the hardness of the courts," Stubley explained.
Play on outside courts can continue until 9:30pm, while Centre Court and Court One matches can finish as late as 11pm, posing challenges for maintenance. "We're quite restricted by the time play finishes to when prep work starts in the morning, we've only got a small window for irrigation," Stubley said. "Whatever we put down, we've got to guarantee it to be dry the following day."
Expecting the Unexpected After 30 Championships
Stubley's decades of experience have taught him to expect the unexpected. "This will be my 31st championship, and I've had so far 30 different championships because nothing is ever the same," he said. "This weather this week is unprecedented; we're going into a red heat zone, which we've never had before. A lot of it we just manage as we go because if you've not experienced it before, then we don't know what to preempt and what to do."
Despite the challenges, tennis fans can be assured that Wimbledon's courts remain in safe hands, with Stubley and his team prepared for whatever Mother Nature delivers.
