Andy Murray blasts Wimbledon for closing roof during Sinner-Dimitrov match
As it happened, the match never reached completion, because a pectoral injury forced Dimitrov to retire. But Murray's point was that Dimitrov – who led by two sets to zero when the decision was taken – was on track to close out a famous victory well before the light was due to fail.
'So ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match,' Murray posted on X. 'At least an hour of light left… well over a set of tennis can still be played... it's an outdoor tournament!'
Murray's criticism, which was posted when the roof closed at around 8.30pm, continues a trend of controversy around decision-making at this tournament, even if this was a very different type of call to the line-judging debates we have heard in recent days.
A two-time Wimbledon champion, Murray has been promised a statue on the grounds by the summer of 2027 – the 150th anniversary of the Championships.
His argument on the roof was supported by BBC pundit John McEnroe, who said: 'They should have played a third set [before closing the roof] because there was 45 minutes to an hour left.'
But Tim Henman, another BBC pundit who is also a senior figure at the AELTC, was more equivocal.
'I don't think [they could have played a whole set before nightfall] on Centre Court,' said Henman. 'Outside it will be brighter but inside there is less light so they probably could have played six games, get to sort of quarter to nine, then it gets dark. But they try to shut the roof at a convenient time.'
The AELTC's roof policy has changed noticeably over the years, with the initial instruction to referees being to keep it open unless there was absolutely no alternative.
These days, we see a more proactive approach in which the primary goal is to avoid an awkward hiatus at a tense moment of play. The roof mechanism takes around 10 minutes to complete the closure, but there is usually a further two or three-minute delay while the players warm up again after the break.
Meanwhile, giant fans flood the arena with dry air to prevent the humidity from climbing too high. With 15,000 Centre Court spectators all breathing water vapour into a closed space, the grass would otherwise become dangerously slippery.
Wimbledon's policy is that, if artificial lighting is required, it can only be used under a closed roof on Centre or No 1 Courts. Continuing after nightfall also risks the players' safety because of dew.
If there is a danger of the roof needing to be closed during a match, or even a set, the referee – who is now Denise Parnell – tends to take the initiative and make the decision early.
Murray's former coach Brad Gilbert was another observer who remarked upon the closure. His post on X stated that 'this is day 8 @Wimbledon and the 7th time this tournament will finish under roof, not for rain because of long matches, never seen this happen before.'
As Gilbert implied, matches are becoming longer, which begs the question of why the AELTC does not start play on Centre Court earlier than 1.30pm. When responding to this enquiry in previous years, the club has cited the danger of the grass wearing out under the stress of longer hours of play, as well as the need to give spectators from further afield enough time to arrive for the start.
There is also a theory that the BBC enjoys having plenty of live play to televise in the evening, when its audience figures are highest.
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