Wimbledon: Numbers and curiosities from the Tennis Cathedral

The tournament in the turf Mecca of Wimbledon is different. Not just because it’s on grass. Tradition is paramount, correctness is written in capital letters – even in the 132nd edition. Oh yes, how many bowls of strawberries with liquid cream do you think will be eaten on the 14 tournament days? Exactly: 166,055 portions! And what does “Mr. Hon” mean?

By Ulrike Weinrich from Wimbledon

I got you that thing with the white clothes. That knows – attention, pun! – everyone anyway that the professionals in the time-honored All England Lawn Tennis Club on Church Road in the southwest of the English metropolis have to come along quite colourlessly….. Or let’s say classic! Just right for the occasion. Otherwise they are “not amused” in SW 19.

On the course, traditionally decorated with floral bouquets in the club colours purple-green, much is different from the other three Grand Slams in hip Melbourne or in urban Paris or in crazy New York.

In Wimbledon, for example, there are “moderators” who lead the players’ press conferences. Everyone is of course a member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. This year the pool consists of ten people. Bruce Weathertrill even has a courtesy title: “The Hon” (“The Honourable”).

The compendium, a reference work by Alan Little with all kinds of facts and historical stories, contains a proud 644 pages and weighs eight kilos. It contains all kinds of statistical delicacies.

Since 2000, for example, the children who carry out the coin toss before the two finals are mentioned by name. In 2016, when Angelique Kerber was in the final on Church Road, the young “coin thrower” was called Uma Baker-Bahl – and was 11 years old at the time.

On 14 pages, the racket brand with which the Wimbledon champions (singles, doubles, mixed) played at their triumph is listed. In the first years (since 1877/men and 1884/women) there are of course some gaps.

And here are a few more portions of the traditional British number salad:

Estimated consumption of:

bananas in the player area: 2.195 kg

Pasta in the players’ area: 4,235 portions

Champagne on the entire line: 21,917 bottles

Fish and chips on the entire line: 17,170 portions

Sandwiches on the entire plant: 72,142

Strawberries with cream on the whole plant: 166.055 portions

Coffee/tea on the entire plant: 307,277 cups

Roof damage? Some crazy numbers on the Centre Court:

8 litres of fresh air per second and per person are pumped into the stadium

the roof above the Centre Court can withstand gusts of wind up to 70 km/h

75,000 stretched umbrellas would have the same wingspan as the extendable roof

290,000,000 million – in a word: two hundred and ninety million – tennis balls would fit into the “arena” if the roof over the Centre Court is closed

100 percent of the roof construction is recyclable