Latest news with #tennisfans
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
No Pimm's please, we're sober! Wimbledon mixes up mocktails amid soaring demand for non-alcoholic beverages
Wimbledon just wouldn't be Wimbledon without strawberries, cream, and Pimm's, with fans sipping on nearly 300,000 glasses of the signature drink at the tennis grand slam every year. But, as Gen Z tennis fans and health-conscious spectators flock to the lawn this year, demand for a non-alcoholic Pimm's alternative has risen. While a huge number of brands have released non-alcoholic versions of popular liquors in recent years to meet the rising number of sober-curious consumers, the quintessential British beverage, which is often paired with lemonade and fruit, has not followed suit. To satisfy thirsty guests, Wimbledon has created a mocktail that emulates the classic fruity cocktail without alcohol - although the club's own food and drink expert admits the booze-free alternative isn't quite there yet. The Times reports Charlie Cook, the business director of food and drink at Wimbledon, said: 'We look at market trends. Within our business we employ a food and drink futurist to look at where those trends are going. 'The younger generations are looking for lower or non-alcoholic offerings.' In the club's efforts to create a Pimm's-inspired mocktail, Cook added: 'We've tried a version using balsamic, which has a quite similar flavour profile, but we haven't really cracked that one yet. It would be a good one though.' It comes as bar staff at Wimbledon said they have noticed an uptick in the number of customers asking for non-alcoholic beverages while enjoying the tennis. At the official Pimm's stall on Henman Hill/Murray Mound, one barmaid revealed that around one in 50 customers ask whether a non-alcoholic version of Pimm's is available. She added that she had noticed people asking for the same thing when she worked at the stall last year. Destiny Olusegun, a 22-year-old bar manager, said he also noticed the growing demand for alcohol-free drinks ever since he began working at Wimbledon three years ago. He reflected on how people are becoming 'more conscious' of what and how they drink, and that there is a shift away from all-day boozing. Drinking constantly while spending all day at Wimbledon is no longer desirable, he added, but people still want the option of being able to have a cold drink while socialising so a non-alcoholic Pimm's could help do the trick. The demand for drink options that don't induce drunkenness has risen exponentially in recent years, fuelled by Gen Z's changing taste compared to previous generations. Alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware conducted a study last year that revealed 21% of 18-to-24-year-olds do not drink at all, a significant jump from 14% in 2017. A recent study by researchers at Oxford University found that Gen Z is embracing the non-alcoholic drinks movement in an act of rebellion, even deeming the choice as 'cool'. Interest in health and wellness is also part of the move towards non-alcoholic drinks, with some Gen Z-ers opting out of boozing for health reasons. Wimbledon already offers a range of alcohol-free beverages, such as booze-free aperitif Everleaf, no-alcohol spirit Freeglider, and 0% ABV Wild Idol wine. Stella Artois has also launched its 0.0 beer on draught at the tournament this year, before rolling it out to the rest of the UK. According to The Times, the alcohol-free beer has been so popular that a barman at Wimbledon's Perfect Serve bar said they sold nearly 200 pints on one day. As for mocktails, the club offers a non-boozy spritz made with alcohol-free gin, sugar syrup and pink grapefruit soda - which sets customers back by £12.60 - and a 0% paloma that uses a non-alcoholic bergamot aperitif, costing £10.40. But the question of whether the iconic Pimm's will produce a non-alcoholic version remains. A spokeswoman for the brand said that Diageo, the alcohol giant that owns Pimm's, is 'always working' on new ideas, adding that customers will be the first to know if a new product is on the way. The 185-year-old drink comprises of gin, caramelised orange and a closely guarded secret blend of herbal botanicals and spices. On its own, Pimm's has an alcohol content of 25% ABV. But once it's mixed with lemonade, which is the traditional way to serve this summertime staple drink, the alcohol content is lowered drastically to around 6% ABV, slightly higher than an average beer. Pimm's was created by London oyster bar owner James Pimm in 1832 as a tonic to aid digestion and thus, Pimm's No. 1 Cup was born. The brand was founded in 1840 but only began large-scale production in 1851 in order to keep up with sales to other bars. It's not just a staple at Wimbledon - Pimm's is also a must-have at the Chelsea Flower Show and the Henley Royal Regatta. Throughout the summer, Pimm's is a highly popular choice in pubs and bars, as well as at home, where drinkers can add as much fruit as they want, like strawberries, cucumber, oranges, lemons, apples, as well as mint.
Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Wimbledon's most annoying spectators — ranked
It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is a joy and a privilege to be a tennis fan in possession of Wimbledon tickets. Yet the love can soon be diluted by the spectators around you. This is all in the luck of the draw … let's take a look at a few of them. You are a 34-year-old man sitting behind us and you've presumably had a few drinks. You conduct a near-monologue addressed to your neighbour throughout all play in a loud voice. You are undeterred by any hints to be quiet as your life story is clearly more fascinating than watching world-class tennis players. We are relieved to hear you report that your bladder is full and you need to 5/5 You are a young woman, dressed up for Wimbledon with your boyfriend. You both look smart; the problem is that the tennis bores you. You spend the whole time scrolling on your phone or texting, even though typing is quite difficult with your nail extensions. You sit in front of us and we find your flickering screen slightly distracting. You have the spirit to shush the aforementioned bore talking behind us; but why bother? Is he interrupting your texting?Score: 3/5 You are a mature lady and your proportions mean you spill into your neighbour's seat. Luckily you've moved up and there is now an empty seat between us, so we're no longer entwined. You are eating chips in a desultory manner but seem to find them more interesting than the 2/5 • The net gains of Wimbledon stars — stealing 500 towels a day You are a thirtysomething woman with your boyfriend and you replace the people sitting in front of us, as you've queued for the resale tickets. You are living the experience and have already bought up the Wimbledon shop judging by the sea of bags, along with your boyfriend who sports a brand-new cap. You are understandably excited to take some photos but you also feel that holding the camera above your head to film every point is more important than watching IRL. Obviously the people behind won't mind if they can't see anything except the image on your 4/5 You are a young man who is well into his pints and you are having a good time larking with your mates. The more you drink the more invincible you feel. You pick your moment and lean forward, inches from our ears, to bellow your support for your favourite player with a well-rehearsed witticism of the 'Come on, Andy' variety. What larks! A little of your beer may have splashed on our shoulder as you broke our ear drum but never mind, we were due a trip to the dry-cleaner's 4/5 You are a young woman with Lady Godiva-length hair that you like to flick from side to side because it feels seductive — except not for those behind you, as we have to rear back to avoid ingesting your coiffure as it slaps across our face. The sun comes out and you wisely put on a large floppy hat. You are pleased that it is not only practical but gives you a desirably winsome look to complement your flowered summer dress. You must then continue your head tossing to keep us constantly guessing in our quest for the small gap behind your wide brim for a glimpse of the tennis. We consider swapping seats with our companion but we can't see through the neck of your tall, rugby-playing boyfriend either, whose stature creates a human shield from the tennis …Score: 4/5 • Where to watch Wimbledon in London this summer You are a mature student who likes to patrol the grounds with a large backpack carrying your picnic, iced drinks, rain poncho and items for all eventualities. You don't want to pay silly prices at the food stalls! You like to enter a tightly crowded area and then swivel around suddenly, oblivious to the lethal weapon you carry on your back, which swings in an arc behind you to flatten the nearest 5/5 You are an older chap in your club tie who once played tennis to a decent level back in the days of the wooden racket. You like to make disapproving comments about modern players' behaviour. You tend to nod off during points but at least any enthusiastic applause wakens you and you can join in the clapping before your next 2/5 You are a young man who must wait till everyone in your row has settled down again after having had to rise several times during a changeover to let people past; then you decide on a last-minute lunge for the exit. At least it's good exercise for strengthening everyone's glutes akin to box squats at the gym. When you return with a large collection of drinks from the bar, make sure you appear just as 'Time'' is called so that you can proceed very slowly along the row until you reach your seat in the middle. Never mind if you obscure our view of that key point where the crowd gave a huge roar; if we feel wistfully curious to know what happened, we can always catch up later on the TV 5/5
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wimbledon spectator reveals how much you REALLY get in a £2.70 box of strawberries and cream at SW19
Wimbledon spectators are revealing what the strawberries and cream boxes at SW19 really look like - and the results have left people divided. The summer snack, which goes hand-in-hand with the tennis championship, is in high demand at the tournament as punters line up in their droves and shell out £2.70 for a box of the sweet treat. This year is the first since 2010 that the All England Club, which runs the tournament, has raised the price of strawberries and cream; which now costs £2.70. Around 140,000 punnets are bought by visitors per year, meaning the new price will bring in approximately £28,000 for the club. The 20p price increase compared to last year hasn't deterred foodies but some have been left disappointed with what they were given. Some have claimed the box is a 'rip off' and 'mostly empty' containing only a 'handful' of strawberries and 'yellow' cream. However, other attendees have jumped to Wimbledon's defence, saying they've been delighted by the creamy strawberry boxes and their 'cheap' price. One spectator was less than impressed after she bought some strawberries that came swimming in cream to enjoy courtside. Some have claimed the box is a 'rip off' and 'mostly empty' containing only a 'handful' of strawberries and 'yellow' cream 'Cream? Yellow liquid,' she captioned a TikTok clip showing what was inside the box. Some viewers were dismayed to see there were the same amount of strawberries included as in previous years despite the price increase. 'It's not full? Dang. Is it cold at least?' one person asked and another said: 'It's actually a huge disappointment'. 'Tried them the other day for the first time and the cream was awful,' a third agreed. 'Daylight robbery,' someone added and another wrote: 'FOUR STRAWBERRIES?? Hell no'. 'I couldn't even get near the strawberry stand, the queue was halfway (to) centre court,' one visitor explained. However, not everyone was put off by the fruity serving, claiming it was more than reasonable for the £2.70 price. 'I fully expected £4-£6 for a portion,' one woman admitted. 'Is it me of is 2.7 pounds a steal?' a second asked and someone pointed out: 'Cream is cream…it's not yellow, it's literally off fine!'. 'At any other sports venue, they would've charged you at least £6 for that,' a third replied and someone agreed: 'For a sports venue, that's cheap as you can get. Can't even get a paper cup and straw for that price in most places'. 'Nah, they're actually unreal, I thought they were worth it, me and my brother bought 3 boxes when we went,' another guest said. At £2.70 the event's iconic snack is easily the best value food on site. Wimbledon is also one of the very few sporting events which allows fans to bring in their own food and drink - including alcohol - so visitors on a budget can always bring in their own strawberries. The strawberry and cream boxes aren't the only thing that has seen a price increase at Wimbledon this year. Food stalls are charging guests £5 for a bag of Haribo Starmix, Tangfastics or Skittles. The three items were priced at £3.50 at Wimbledon's Aorangi Larder four years ago, with the 2025 prices marking a 42 per cent increase. By contrast, a pack of Haribo Starmix would cost £1.25 at Tesco, while Skittles are priced at 95p in the supermarket. At Wimbledon, a pack of Galaxy Minstrels has seen a smaller increase from £3.50 to £4.40 since 2021. Wimbledon is one of the few sporting events which allows fans to bring in their own food and drink - including alcohol - so visitors on a budget can always bring in their own strawberries The Hill Larder also includes Jude's Ice Cream Tubs and Sticks at £4.50, popcorn at £2.20, divine chocolate bars at £2.30 and cookies costing £3.15. A series of hot eats are also available on the menu with a sausage roll the lowest priced on the Hill at £5.10, while Mac & Cheese Bites and a Cornish pasty are among items listed at £6.80. Fans can also purchase sushi, with the most expensive option being a Grand Slam Sushi Selection at £15.10. Guests are also facing steep prices at Wimbledon for beer, Pimms and wine. Those opting for beer as their drink of choice will be likely drinking Stella Artois, one of the tournament's official sponsors. A 300ml bottle will set fans back £7.50, the same as last year, with the non-alcoholic version priced lower at £6.90. However, pints of Stella will cost £8.85 for the 2025 tournament, marking another increase having been £7.55 in 2023 and £8.50 last year. Reacting to the price list, one fan wrote 'Stella is one of the cheapest beers you can buy at trade prices these days. Which explains why Wimbledon are charging £8.85 a pint and even charging 40p more than Guinness!! 'It's nothing to do with profit margins. That's just pure greed.' Depending on the location around the grounds, a 250ml glass of Pimm's could set fans back between £10.20 to £12.25. The drink, which has become a tradition at Wimbledon, will set spectators back £36 if they opt to buy a jug. At one bar in the grounds, Mail Sport found white, rose and red wine priced at £10.20 for a 187ml glass. Sipsmith gin and tonic has also been priced at the same amount. Bottles of wine have been priced at £49.60, while champagne ranges can reach as much as £96. Should fans opt against alcoholic options, they can opt for soft drinks like Coke or Sprite at £2.75. A large bottle of Evian, the tournament's official water, has been priced at £5. The bottles can be refilled throughout the grounds for free via the numerous water stations at SW19.
News.com.au
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Tennis star lifts up skirt after tense stand-off with Wimbledon official
It wouldn't be Wimbledon without a wardrobe controversy. Feisty Latvian star Jelena Ostapenko was the latest to draw the ire of the tournament's ultra-strict all white dress code while warming up for her doubles match overnight Friday. While the All England Lawn Tennis Club was happy to make an exception for players wishing to wear a black armband to honour late Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, one official wasn't so sure about what Ostapenko was hiding under her skirt. And it led to a bizarre stand-off. Wimbledon altered its rules two years ago to allow women's players to wear black shorts after widespread concerns over players suffering from period anxiety. It's unclear whether it was the green colour of Ostapenko's shorts or something else that prompted the conversation this year, but tennis fans still blew up after the moment was shared on social media. 'Imagine telling a woman what colour knickers/shorts she can wear under her skirt,' one wrote. 'Move the hell forward Wimbledon…we all love the white but the underwear is none of your business.' 'That's ridiculous. The green looks cute and is perfect for this tournament!' wrote another. 'Wimbledon needs to modernise on this,' added another. 'Who is this Umpire? Anna Wintour?' added a fourth. 71-second statement after controversial decision There were also comical scenes on court two as Ben Shelton needed just 71 seconds to complete his match against Australia's Rinky Hijikata. Shelton had failed to persuade the umpire to give him just one more minute to put the finishing touches on a straight sets win in the gathering gloom at Wimbledon on Thursday. The second-round match was halted at 9.29pm due to fading light. When he returned in the sunshine on Friday, Shelton strode back onto Court Two with one goal, to finish off Hijikata quickly. Four swishes of the racquet later, including three aces, and the job was done, with 10th seed Shelton wrapping up a 6-2 7-5 6-4 win. The official match time of two hours and 12 minutes failed to tell the whole story. 'He (the supervisor) said it was a five-minute warning until Hawk-Eye (line-calling technology) was going down,' Shelton said. 'That was, like, including the changeover, so there wouldn't be enough time to complete the game. 'I was telling him, 'I only need 60 seconds'. That's kind of what my goal was when I went out there today.' Despite being on the brink of victory overnight Shelton, 22, admitted that switching off had been nearly impossible. 'When you're in the middle of a match, you're thinking about what you did, what you could have done, how you could have been off the court, what you're going to do when you get back out there,' he said. 'For me it's what my game plan is going to be for that one service game to make sure that I hold. You can't really completely switch off.' Shelton will play Marton Fucsovics in the third round after the Hungarian beat veteran Frenchman Gael Monfils in five sets, in another match held over. Alcaraz still searching for top gear Carlos Alcaraz survived another erratic performance on Friday, battling to a 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff to stay on track for a third straight Wimbledon crown. Alcaraz made 28 unforced errors in an inconsistent display on Centre Court but conjured enough moments of magic to eventually subdue the world number 125 and book his place in the last 16. The world number two had been pushed to the brink in a five-set win over 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini in the first round and looked below his best again in a second-round victory over British amateur Oliver Tarvet. After grinding out his latest underwhelming win, the Spaniard has plenty of room for improvement. In contrast to Alcaraz's laboured efforts, world number one Jannik Sinner - his main rival at the All England Club - has dropped just 12 games in his first two matches. Keys, Osaka crash out Australian Open champion Madison Keys joined the mass exodus of top seeds at Wimbledon on Friday. Keys' 6-3, 6-3 defeat by Germany's Laura Siegemund means only world number one Aryna Sabalenka is still alive at the All England Club out of the top six women's seeds. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Zheng Qinwen had already fallen by the wayside. US sixth seed Keys had won 13 of her 14 Grand Slam matches this year, but made 31 unforced errors in a lacklustre display on the grass against 37-year-old Siegemund, ranked 104 in the world. Elsewhere, Naomi Osaka admits she contemplates life without tennis but does not plan to quit just yet despite her latest painful defeat. Osaka blew a golden opportunity to reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time as she was beaten by Russian world number 50 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 27-year-old took the first set on Court Two, but she lost her way as Pavlyuchenkova battled back to clinch a 3-6 6-4 6-4 victory. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion but she has not won a major since 2021 and has still never been beyond the third round at the All England Club. 'Right now I'm just really upset. I wanted to better than I did before. I thought I could make a great run here but clearly not,' Osaka said. Since her triumph at the Australian Open four years ago, she is on a dismal run of 12 successive Grand Slam appearances without reaching the fourth round. Osaka gave birth to a daughter in July 2023, returning from a 15-month sabbatical for the start of the 2024 season. Visibly frustrated throughout her post-match press conference after losing on Friday, she was asked if she thought about hanging up her racquet to find happiness elsewhere. 'Yeah. I feel like I'd be kind of crazy to not, but I think right now I have so many things I want to attempt to achieve,' she said. 'I feel like while I still have the opportunity to try to do it, I want to, even though I get very upset when I lose, but I think that's my competitive nature. That's also the younger sister syndrome. 'No person wants to feel this way, like, multiple times throughout the year, but tennis players are crazy.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Wimbledon travel chaos is ‘huge embarrassment' for London, says MP
Wimbledon's MP has condemned travel chaos that left tennis fans facing cancellations, severe delays and overcrowding as an 'international embarrassment'. Paul Kohler, the local Liberal Democrat MP, said fans from across the world had struggled to get to SW19 this week because of repeated problems on London Underground's District line. Spectators suffered delays due to signalling failures and a track fire at Southfields – the closest station to the All England Club – as temperatures reached record highs on Monday and Tuesday. Kohler criticised Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London and chair of Transport for London (TfL), saying the issues were an embarrassment to the capital and Wimbledon, which welcomed almost 130,000 spectators over the first three days of the championships. 'This is an international embarrassment,' Kohler said. 'This is one of the jewels in the crown of British sport and people can't even get to the championships on time because the train won't get them there. 'There is such a contrast in how the All England Club run such a tight ship – the championships run like clockwork – and yet getting there is so difficult. 'I have huge sympathy for fans coming from around the world, and it is such a huge embarrassment that something we're so proud of is causing so many difficulties.' He added: 'Sadiq Khan needs to just get a grip. This has been a long-running problem. No one is surprised because this happens time and time again. 'He needs to sort it out because it is an embarrassment to London and to Wimbledon – the eyes of the world are on SW19 right now.' Tennis fans complained of 'sweaty armpits' on crowded trains on Thursday as the District line was beset by severe delays and part suspended for a second day due to a track fault at Tower Hill. Helen and Alex Kaufmann were late for the first match on Court 2 after it took them more than an hour to travel from West Hampstead to Southfields. 'The [Southfields] platform was super busy, really crowded, really hard to get off. We probably waited as long to get off as we did on the train,' Helen said. TfL issued an apology on Thursday, saying it delivered about 75% of the planned service on Monday and Tuesday. In a joint statement with Network Rail, a spokesperson said: 'We're sorry to any District line passengers whose journeys have been affected by recent signalling issues on infrastructure shared between Network Rail and London Underground. 'Over the past two days, we've experienced two separate track circuit failures, which are critical to the signalling system as they tell signallers where trains are on the network. A failure causes signals to default to red for safety, which reduces the number of trains we can run through the affected area. 'In addition, a small fire on the track at Southfields on Tuesday led to a brief suspension of services … We are doing everything we can to minimise disruption, particularly during the Wimbledon championships, and we'd like to thank passengers for their patience and understanding.' Wimbledon bosses declined to comment. But a source said 8,000 more fans a day were expected to visit during the tournament when expansion plans are passed, and that 'transport infrastructure was key'. They plan to expand a park-and-ride system. Simon Wright, 68, who opposes the plans, said this week's overcrowding outside Southfields was the worst he had ever seen. 'Wimbledon are telling people to not arrive by car and TfL are saying they cannot run any more trains. They cannot manage the number of people they have got at the moment. I think it's crazy. It's the worst that I have seen, especially because the District line has been falling over,' he said. A spokesperson for Khan said: 'When there are delays on the network, TfL works at pace to restore the services to normal and minimise disruption to those travelling around our city. The mayor remains focused on delivering the reliable, world-class public transport system Londoners expect and deserve.'
