How Wimbledon's grass courts are maintained

New York Times

7 hours ago

Follow live reaction to day three with American fifth seed Fritz pushed all the way by unseeded Canadian Diallo in the final match at SW19 today Getty Images
Day three of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships concluded with Taylor Fritz winning a late thriller in the second round at SW19.
American Fritz (5), facing the 6ft 8ins unseeded Canadian Gabriel Diallo under the lights on a roof-closed No. 1 Court, won the deciding set 6-3.
Jasmine Paolini (4) and Frances Tiafoe (12) were knocked out by underdogs, with Carlos Alcaraz (2) and Madison Keys (6) through.
Brit Emma Raducanu, Karen Khachanov (17), Andrey Rublev (14), Elise Mertens (24) and Naomi Osaka also progressed at the All England Club. Watch: BBC (UK), ESPN (U.S.); Get involved: [e-mail]
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Cameron Norrie rescues second-round comeback win to send Frances Tiafoe out of Wimbledon Getty Images
Neil Stubley, Wimbledon's head of courts and horticulture, is the man in charge of keeping the tennis courts pristine as he enters his 30th tournament.
He and his team of 18, which grows to 31 during the event, are responsible for 'anything that grows' — including weeds.
'Every day we test the ball bounce height and the hardness of the surface,' Stubley says.
'If they're getting too hard, we can add a little more water. If they get too soft, we can just hold off on irrigation and let Mother Nature dry it out a little more.
'Last week, it got its final liquid fertilizer on to give it the right color that we need.'
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How Wimbledon gets its grass courts, flowers and tennis balls ready for Grand Slam action Getty Images
Wimbledon's second-biggest and second-most important court, with a seating capacity of 12,345 (singer Lou Bega's ears have perked up).
Opened in 1997, it was renovated in 2019 and has a retractable roof, like Centre Court.
Cameron Norrie called it his favorite court earlier today after beating Frances Tiafoe.
Will Tiafoe's fellow American Taylor Fritz (5) have better luck against Gabriel Diallo?
That match follows Katie Boulter vs. Solana Sierra.
Nice comeback from Ann Li in the first-set tiebreaker against Elise Mertens, and Li wins the set 7-6(5).
That has to be a big confidence boost for Li against the No. 24 seed.
The first set was split right down the middle with Li winning 50 points to 49 for Mertens.
It doesn't get much closer than that. Getty Images
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In the men's, Adrian Mannarino wins an all-French tie between he and Valentin Royer, 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(1).
In the women's, Cristina Bucşa has got past last year's semifinalist, Donna Vekić of Croatia, 6-1, 6-3.
It was never going to last — the hot weather from the first two days of the tournament has broken and it's much cooler around Wimbledon today.
Rain delays are far from ideal for scheduling but once matches get going again on outdoor courts, it's a much friendlier environment for players and spectators.
Tournament organisers did all that they could to battle the heat and keep people safe as a 148-year-old heat record was broken, as Michael D. Shear writes for the New York Times here.
From distributing 6,700 refillable water bottles to 'shade mapping' and a 'heat rule' for players, they have had to react to the weather nimbly.
The scene at 'Henman Hill' just now.
It's packed out for Carlos Alcaraz's Centre Court match against Brit Oliver Tarvet.
Here are the start times, as currently listed, for the singles matches coming up:
Men's singles Cristian Garín vs. Arthur Rinderknech (5:15 p.m. BST, 12:15 p.m. ET)
(5:15 p.m. BST, 12:15 p.m. ET) Botic van de Zandschulp vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (5:25 p.m. BST, 12:25 p.m. ET)
(5:25 p.m. BST, 12:25 p.m. ET) Jiří Lehečka vs. Mattia Bellucci (5:30 p.m. BST, 12:30 p.m. ET)
(5:30 p.m. BST, 12:30 p.m. ET) Arthur Fery vs. Luciano Darderi (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET)
(5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Kamil Majchrzak vs. Ethan Quinn (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET)
(5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Jan-Lennard Struff (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET)
(5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Taylor Fritz vs. Gabriel Diallo (5:40 p.m. BST, 12:40 p.m. ET)
Women's singles Jasmine Paolini vs Kamilla Rakhimova (4:15 p.m. BST, 11:15 a.m. ET)
(4:15 p.m. BST, 11:15 a.m. ET) Renata Zarazúa vs. Amanda Anisimova (4:20 p.m. BST, 11:20 a.m. ET)
(4:20 p.m. BST, 11:20 a.m. ET) Naomi Osaka vs. Kateřina Siniaková (4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET)
(4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET) Diana Shnaider vs. Diane Parry (4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET)
(4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET) Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Dalma Gálfi (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET)
(4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) Eva Lys vs. Linda Nosková (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET)
(4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) Katie Boulter vs. Solana Sierra (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET)
(4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) Ashlyn Krueger vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET)
(5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Emma Raducanu vs. Markéta Vondroušová (5:55 p.m. BST, 12:55 p.m. ET)
(5:55 p.m. BST, 12:55 p.m. ET) Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs. Elina Svitolina (7:10 p.m. BST, 2:10 p.m. ET)
FINAL: Fonseca 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 Brooksby
João Fonseca pulls out a four-set win over American Jenson Brooksby, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
It was a close match throughout with Fonseca winning 142 points and Brooksby winning 131. Neither player won more than three games in a row.
Fonseca just was able to win enough of the big points to claim the win.
He secured the win in front of a very happy crowd inside No. 1 Court this afternoon, so here's how Cam Norrie felt about that match speaking on court:
'I was really happy when I saw the schedule and saw it was on Court One, it's my favourite court., It was an amazing atmosphere, we played to a really high level. I played point for point.
'It's really nice to play Frances in a big match at Wimbledon. It's so special, you forget so quickly. I walk around the corner there and I feel goosebumps, it's such a special court and a tradition.
'I was trying to take it all in and smile as much as I could before I went to battle. I was happy with my level and there was a lot of enjoyment.' Getty Images
Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-7 Norrie
That's the ball game!
Unseeded Brit Cameron Norrie has knocked out 12th seed Frances Tiafoe of the United States.
Tiafoe trudged off afterwards and is another seed to bite the dust here at Wimbledon. Getty Images Getty Images
What a noise!
Two aces from Norrie in that game sent him well on his way to sealing match point.
There was a moment in the final rally there that a few spectators thought the Brit had won it — before he finally sealed it a few shots later as Tiafoe went long.
That was a really hard-won victory. Getty Images
Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-6* Norrie
Norrie 15-0 and rumblings of anticipation. The noise slowly growing inside No. 1 Court, but he nets for 15-all. Shouts of 'Come on Frances!' echo around the arena.
Two big aces, for 40-15...
And the crowd here know it.
In the middle of that rally, there were low mutterings of 'Come on!' from the fans sat around us here, in support of Norrie.
That became a roar rather than a mutter when Tiafoe made an error and hit into the net. Getty Images
Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-6* Norrie
The ball flies off Tiafoe's racket, scooped horribly wide, and Norrie is one game from the third round. Getty Images
FINAL: Nakashima 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 Bu
Brandon Nakashima is through with a four-set win over Bu Yunchaokete.
The two split the first two sets, but Nakashima gets the win in four sets.
It's a nice, hard win for the No. 29 seed. Getty Images
Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-5* Norrie
Brilliant rally just then, as Nancy mentioned.
Another error and Norrie is at 0-30. Gorgeous touch from Tiafoe, who is halfway between the baseline and the net, perfectly placed to angle a cute volley away.
15-30, then 15-40 and two break points after a poor drop shot from the American finds the top of the net. He is in a spot of bother now. Getty Images
As Tiafoe starts his service game, Norrie comes up with the goods!
The American sent a lovely drop shot just over the net but, with a cry as he threw everything behind it, Norrie made it just in time to hit a winner.
That was popular inside No. 1 Court.