The Reason Behind Wimbledon Championships Curfew

Wimbledon Championships curfew signifies the adjournment of matches for the day and no tennis matches take place after 11 pm BST. Unlike, Roland-Garros the British Grand Slam is well-equipped with a roof and lights and those facilities are ideal to carry out a tennis match. Despite having the prerequisites to conduct a tennis match late evening, the tournament doesn’t engage in doing so.  

Wimbledon Championships curfew is practiced because the inhabitants of London do not want late-night tennis action since the hooting and noise created by the audience during the match would disturb the neighbourhood at night. To avoid disturbances in the SW19 district of London, Wimbledon Championships curfew is practiced.

The Wimbledon Championships curfew is not under the control of tournament officials, these rules are laid down by the London Councils. In London, usually, the outdoor activities wrap up around 11 pm BST since all these events fall under the licensing laws of the United Kingdom, thus it ensures the safety of their citizens.

Also, the public transportation system in London operates from 5 am until midnight and it would be tedious for the spectators and other staff at Wimbledon to commute if attend late-night matches. Whereas at US Open night session matches are held and in the New York City, the public transports are available throughout the night.

The previous year’s Wimbledon Championships incorporated a few best matches of tennis season 2018. The semi-final match between the two skyscrapers, John Isner and Kevin Anderson seemed a never-ending battle. And the final set itself lasted for three long hours which consisted of fifty games.

Consequently, the longest match on Wimbledon’s Centre Court led to a delay in the commencement of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s semifinal match. However, the battle between the former champions was suspended after three sets at 10.58 pm BST due to Wimbledon Championships curfew.

However, during the third round match at Wimbledon 2012, which was played between Andy Murray and Marcos Baghdatis on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. Wimbledon Championships curfew was broken during their encounter as Murray finished the match at 11.02 pm BST.