Wimbledon breaks long-standing tradition and allows players to practice on Centre and No. 1 Courts after injury troubles in previous years

In a decision that has surprised many, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has decided to allow players to practice on Centre Court and Court 1 for the first time in the Wimbledon Championships' 145-year long history.

The decision was made to protect players from injuries, after quite a few had injured themselves due to slippery conditions at the Championships last year.

The other three Grand Slam tournaments — Australian Open, Roland Garros, and the US Open — have always allowed the players to play on their main courts before the main event. Wimbledon, on the other hand, could not do so in order to protect the surface from deteriorating before the second week.

Fans in large numbers slammed the organizers when seven-time Wimbledon winner Serena Williams injured herself in the opening round in 2021. At 3-3 in the first set against Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Williams was forced to retire and limped off the court in tears.

During one of the matches, even a ballboy fell down and had to leave the court on a stretcher. At the time, the organizers defended themselves, saying there was no difference in the preparations from previous editions.

"The preparation of the grass courts has been to exactly the same meticulous standard as in previous years. The weather conditions on the opening two days have been the wettest we have experienced in almost a decade, which has required the roof to be closed on Centre Court and No.1 Court for long periods,” AELTC had said in a statement.

Some of the players who have lost their footing and complained about the wet surface include Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, Adrian Mannarino, and Coco Gauff.

This year, the grass-court Major is ready to allow 'limited practice' for players so that they can get accustomed to the conditions before the start of the tournament.

Russian-born Natela Dzalamidze avoids Wimbledon ban by switching nationality

Natela Dzalamidze (right) will compete at the 2022 Wimbledon after taking citizenship in Georgia

Moscow-born Natela Dzalamidze will participate in this year's Championships after taking citizenship in Georgia just days before the tournament begins. The 29-year-old will compete in the doubles event alongside Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic.

Earlier this year, the All England Club announced that no Russian or Belarusian player will be allowed to participate at SW19 due to the ongoing Ukraine invasion by Russia. As a result, a number of top players like World No.1 Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, and Aryna Sabalenka will have to sit out of the grass-court Major.