What Happens When it Rains at Wimbledon?
Locker Room
January 16, 2015
Wimbledon is more than just a sporting event – it’s a unique experience. Whether you’re attending with debenture tickets or you’ve spent hours waiting in The Queue, there’s nothing more frustrating than having rain ruin a day out at the tennis.
Over the years, Wimbledon has experienced its fair share of rainy days. Some have brought play to a close for the rest of the day, leaving spectators in their jackets and important matches delayed.
Others, especially since the installation of the retractable roof on the Centre Court – which is so well known it has its own Twitter account – have passed by without any interruption to play aside from a few moments of light drizzle.
While Wimbledon’s worst days of rain are long in the past – in 1922, the tournament was plagued by rain every single day and lasted until Wednesday of the third week – it still gets the occasional drizzly day or serious shower.
In this guide, we’ll look at what happens when it rains at Wimbledon, from the roof-covered Centre Court to the No.1 Court, the outer courts and the Wimbledon tennis grounds as a whole.
On the Centre Court
Thanks to the Centre Court’s retractable roof, rain isn’t generally an issue. If it starts to rain, the roof quickly closes and allows players to resume their match after a brief delay, meaning there’s no need to pack serious wet weather gear as a spectator.
It hasn’t always been this way, however. In 1996, 13 years before the new roof was installed, rain brought play to a close for several hours. Cliff Richard famously sang to the crowd, which joined in to make the delay an unforgettable experience.
Just a year before the roof was installed, the men’s singles final between Nadal and Federer went on for an astonishing four hours and 48 minutes, largely due to rain delays. Sometimes, the players were only on the court for a few minutes at a time.
The roof itself is a marvel of engineering, able to be folded almost completely out of sight on sunny days and deployed in just 10 minutes should the weather take a turn for the worst, as it occasionally does.
If the rain starts, the roof – which is designed from waterproof Tenara fabric – closes in 10 minutes. There’s then a 20-30 minute period during which the air conditioning system inside the court dries the grass to prevent slips and injuries.
All in all, rain on the Centre Court isn’t a particularly big deal. If it starts to rain, take the opportunity to pop out for a snack – or Pimm’s and strawberries and cream – as the roof retracts and the grass court is dried out for play.
On the other courts
Although rain is no longer an issue on the Centre Court, it can be a serious issue for the other courts. The No. 1 Court, a favourite of players and spectators alike, lacks a roof and thus often experiences delays when the weather takes a turn for the worst.
Rain rarely delays an entire game of matches – instead, it usually results in an hour or so of delays for spectators and players. When it starts to rain, Wimbledon staff quickly spring into action to cover the court, as seen here on the No. 3 Court.
Once the rain stops and the grass court has dried out, which usually takes around 30 minutes, the match resumes. Since most stands are uncovered, it’s best to bring wet weather gear with you – a rain jacket and umbrella are a good choice.
If you’re on one of the outer courts, consider bringing a large poncho instead of the typical umbrella. Opening an umbrella on some of the smaller courts could result in visibility issues for the people behind you – something no one wants to experience.
Thankfully, it seems like rain won’t be much of an issue for fans on Court No. 1 much longer. The All England Club plans to build a retractable roof on the No. 1 Court like the one on the Centre Court, which will come into operation for Wimbledon 2019.
What happens to the schedule?
While Wimbledon hasn’t been affected by serious rain in recent years, there have been several incidents in the past where heavy rain has delayed matches for days, and even delayed the end of the tournament.
When rain seriously disrupts play, the backlogged matches need to be completed in the following days. Most of the time, they’re played on a tight schedule the next day, although some matches have taken place two, three, four of even five days later.
Serious delays normally result in the men’s and women’s singles matches taking the priority, since they attract the biggest crowds and occupy the most important courts during the tournament.
Once the backlogged single’s games are played, the delayed games are completed on a fast schedule on other courts or played on Sunday, which has happened a couple of times during past Wimbledon tournaments.
Should you be worried about the rain at Wimbledon?
If you’re attending a match on the Centre Court, there’s no reason to worry about the rain. Even on the other courts, rain is usually nothing more than a tiny bother that only delays matches for an hour or two.
Pack some comfortable wet weather gear and try to make the most of the delay if any rain occurs. From buying a Wimbledon umbrella to eating fish and chips near the Gate No. 1, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a rainy day at Wimbledon.
If you’ve queued up for tickets, you’ll even get something special thanks to the bad weather. Drop by the Information Centre outside the Centre Court with your queue ticket – the staff will give you an “I’ve queued in the rain at Wimbledon” sticker.