Novak Djokovic, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, has called upon Wimbledon organizers to consider starting matches earlier on Centre Court in order to avoid play being halted due to the tournament’s curfew.
Unlike other Grand Slams, Wimbledon enforces a time cap for matches to conclude. At the US Open, for example, it’s common to watch matches extend late into midnight. However, the current curfew policy suspends matches despite they could continue all night on the Centre Court.
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Players are forced to resume the following day, something Djokovic had to in his recent round-of-16 match against Hubert Hurkacz the against. The world No. 2 acknowledges Wimbledon’s respect for tradition but emphasizes the need to address the uncertainty the curfew creates for players.
Novak Djokovic Expresses Worry Over Wimbledon’s Scheduling
Djokovic was able to avoid the suspension of his win over Stan Wawrinka because he won quickly in three sets. However, that could have changed if his lost the tie-break that ultimately sealed the day for him. That’s why he voiced concerns over the curfew policy at Wimbledon, advocating for earlier match start times on Centre Court to avoid play disruptions.
“Obviously curfew is probably something that is much more difficult to change, I understand, because of the community and the residential area we are in. I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12:00. I think it would make a difference”, Djokovic said in regards of matches on Centre Court starting at 1:30 PM.
He mentioned that he had to wait for nearly seven hours ahead of his matchups with Hurkacz and Wawrinka. “That’s a lot. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s tricky, especially if there are a lot of players and a lot of stuff, members of the respective players’ teams, and they all occupy spaces for rest. It’s not easy to find a corner where you can just be by yourself”, Djokovic added.
All England Club’s Answer to Novak Djokovic
“We have traditionally begun play early in the afternoon on Centre and No.1 Courts with the aim of having those courts as full as possible for when the players walk on court. This is a key point of difference at Wimbledon compared to other tournaments. We know that a ‘day out at Wimbledon’ is the whole experience, an opportunity to walk around the Grounds and view some tennis on the outside courts, indulge in a picnic or some strawberries and cream, and then settle in to enjoy the scheduled matches on Centre and No.1 Courts. There are many operational considerations which need to be taken into account when preparing the Grounds and Courts for play and all of this will be considered as part of our post-Championships review, as it is every year”, the All England Tennis and Croquet Club stated per CNN.
