Bill Simons
Wimbledon
Urban chic London, the impeccable All England Club, the most celebrated sanctuary in tennis, the Royal Box, and the most beloved player in men’s tennis history. “Such splendor on the grass!” gushed one American observer.
Yes, other tennis venues display their rituals and offer much pageantry. Hearing “Waltzing Matilda” in Melbourne is jolly. A rousing version of La Marseillaise on Court Suzanne Lenglen stirs warriors’ emotions in Paris. And it rocks when a superstar or a Harlem choir belts out a pop icon on New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium – it can stir the soul.
But no one does on-court ceremonies like Wimbledon. After all, England, we think, invented pomp. So proper stewards in their blue blazers and straw hats escort dignified British ladies and gentleman to their seats. Stern, marionette ballkids stiffly jog on court. Soldiers and sailors guard Centre Court as if it were a treasured jewel and scan the court for a random rabble rouser – “No streakers, puh-leez!”
Under Centre Court’s high-tech roof, anticipation soars. We wonder, “Can a crowd’s murmur be deafening?”
One broadcaster asks, “Who can measure the impact of Roger putting rackets into kids’ hands around the world?”
Then the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, makes her royal entrance wearing green and white. The Royal Box and then the entire arena (except for renegade Fourth of July American writers in the press box) rise to honor her.
Then there’s a flash news report from behind the scene: “Roger’s looking incredibly dapper. His suit is dazzling. He’s just glorious!”
Then the moment comes.
Resplendent Roger emerges. He offers understated smiles and nods gently to Sir Peter and Lady Ratcliffe, Professor Adrian and Professor Sabina Murray. Then he actually has the audacity to pat the Princess of Wales on the arm – a violation of protocol! But if anyone can get away with such a wretched thing, it’s the Swiss maestro.
Roger waves to the crowd – the throng goes wild. The applause comes in waves. And why not? Has there been anything more splendid than Roger’s balletic staccato steps on grass en route to unleashing a flowing crosscourt backhand? And what tennis player has brought more joy to more people around the globe?
In the press box, reporters thought of other greats who’ve watched Wimbledon: Queen Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela from his Robben Island prison cell (who listened on a radio), US President Bill Clinton, late night monarch Johnny Carson, from high up in the stands, Jack Nicholson, with cigar in hand, stylish David Beckham, 007s Pierce Brosnan and Sean Connery (who was rooting for his fellow Scot, Andy Murray).
But, when it came to greats dazzling Wimbledon fans, no one beat Princess Di, with her love of tennis, her empathy for the people and her appreciation of American freedom and energy.
Yes, for a brief Fourth of July moment, there were hopes that American Shelby Rogers would give us a headline: “Rogers wins on Roger’s Day.” But, after losing the first set, defending Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina rallied to demolish Shelby 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Okay, everything was not perfect on this rainy day. But for one glorious afternoon we witnessed one of the great wonders in sport: Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
WHERE ELSE BUT WIMBLEDON? Here in London, a line where thousands wait draws media attention. The long queue that snakes around the outside of the All England Club attracts eager broadcasters. Radio Wimbledon gushes, “It’s so exciting to see that line again!” They interview the first person on line, a sweet lady named Eleanor. Goodness, she’d been camping for nearly 40 hours. She confided, “Of course I’d do it again next year! After all, it’s just so grand to see your friends!”
WHY PUT YOURSELF THROUGH ALL THE TROUBLE? One radio observer suggested, “At 43 years of age, why is Venus Williams putting herself through all her troubles? Why would you hang around into your fifties as a tennis player? It’s only going to get worse. I guess it’s hard to call it a day.”
AND DON’T FORGET: Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam that’s actually played at a tennis club. Okay, it’s a place like no other. Still, it’s a club.
CHANGE ONE THING: When asked if he could change one or two things in tennis, doubles legend and Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan replied ,“I’d put in a fifteen-second shot clock in doubles. There’s too much time spent talking and the points should be played more quickly. Make those matches move!”
As for improving the Davis Cup, he said ,“I’d love to see it go back to having home and away matches. It’s such an opportunity to grow the game. It’s a chance for younger players to get so inspired. It turned our lives around when Mike and I went to a Mexico-America Davis Cup match at La Costa.”
GO FIGURE: Carlos Alcaraz began both the French Open and Wimbledon by scoring 6-0 wins in his opening matches…More matches were cancelled today than any other Wimbledon day since 1991…The 15-day French Open was virtually rain free. There has been rain on the first two days of Wimbledon.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER ICON: Today was Celebrate Roger Federer Day. Yesterday was Venus Williams Appreciation Day.
PAIN FOR AMERICA: Jessica Pegula easily won early on opening day. But this proved to be a false flag. Only one American man or woman, Sofia Kenin, got through qualifying. Then, in the main draw,Americans who suffered defeat included Venus, Coco Gauff, John Isner, Brandon Nakashima, Mackie McDonald, Caty McNally, Caroline Dolehide, Peyton Stearns, Katie Volynets, Lauren Davis and Claire Liu.
FAN COMMENTARY OF THE DAY: A jolly 22-year old English fan quipped, “Strawberries and cream remind me of Wimbledon, and ice cream reminds me of summer.”
RANDOM HEADLINE OF THE DAY: “Gen Z wants all over-30s to be a walking apology for the past.”
Also reporting Vinay Venkatesh and Lucia Hoffman.
