8 Reasons why Wimbledon is the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world

7. The Court that incubates dreams

Centre Court at Wimbledon, where dreams come alive

The green spread of the hallowed grass is always an inspirational sight for the players. There is no prouder moment for any defending champion than to walk on to Centre Court at the stroke of 1 o’clock in the afternoon on Day 1 of The Championships.

Coming out on the court stirs a nostalgic feeling in the players, taking them back to their earliest memories of Wimbledon as children. It brings back memories of their heroes holding the trophy aloft, and the desire to be in their place sets most of today’s champions on the path to glory.

The branding on the court is subtle and kept to a minimum in order to protect the sanctity of the place.

Marion Bartoli lost her first Wimbledon final in 2007. Six years later, when she was presented with a second opportunity, she left no stone unturned in realizing her dream. All the manic practice sessions she went through over the years paid off in the most important moment of her tennis career.

On match point the Frenchwoman served out wide, the ball kissed the tramline and the chalk flew in the air as a mark of celebration. It was an ace, and Bartoli was a Wimbledon champion.

That’s the stuff that dreams are made of; the stuff that creates legends.

Players who have perfected their craft to match the unique vibes of this hallowed portal see their dreams turn to reality. As expressed by several former champions, the feeling of playing on Centre Court at Wimbledon and winning the title is truly special, and extremely difficult to describe.

8. Keeping up with the Joneses

Wimbledon is known for its adherence to tradition and for being a stickler for rules, but every now and then it adapts to the changing times with a subtlety that brings it the best of both worlds. The Rod Laver Arena in Australia had a retractable roof much before Centre Court at Wimbledon. But the All England Club wasn’t going to lag behind for too long.

Henman, Clijsters, Graf and Agassi play under the newly built roof of the Centre Court (2009)

In 2009, a retractable roof was installed on Centre Court to protect the players and 15,000-odd spectators from the unpredictable English weather. The inclement weather has, on more occasions than one, run roughshod on the Championships scheduling. As a consequence, tournament officials had to take a detour from tradition and schedule matches on the Middle Sunday which is usually a rest day.

But with the shiny new roof on Centre Court, sticking to the schedule is no longer a big problem.

And it’s not just the weather that Wimbledon has adapted to. Prior to 2001, a combination of 70% ryegrass and 30% creeping red fescue was used on the courts here. In 2001, the courts were sown with 100% perennial ryegrass in order to improve durability and withstand the increasing intensity of the game.

Though The Championships have tried to keep up with the times, some things never change – as they shouldn’t. The drilled excellence of the ball boys and girls (called the BBGs), the enticing strawberry and cream, the trademark Wimbledon colours, the royalty in the air, the magnificence and the uniqueness of whole event – all of those things combine to make Wimbledon extra special.

129 years of Lawn Tennis. 129 years of tradition and innovation. 129 years of records. 129 years of fashion. 129 years of champions.

None of this can ever be replicated. And what can’t be replicated is unique!

This is what makes the Wimbledon the grandest of the all the tennis tournaments.