From the sidelines: Beyond the traditions, glimpses of Wimbledon's fierce sporting soul

LONDON, July 14 : At Wimbledon, the 149-year-old tournament's roots in tradition and British social customs are preserved and nurtured like the perennial ryegrass on the All England Club's iconic courts.

The oldest Grand Slam, with around 675 matches across all categories, featured players dressed in white down to their shoes, spectators with creative hats snacking on strawberries and cream, and appearances by members of the royal family.

Visually, the two-week event stood in stark contrast with the FIFA World Cup it coincided with. But beneath the polished packaging, the soul of Wimbledon lay in a competitive core very similar to the World Cup: the best players in the world battle over the sport's most prestigious title.

Reuters photographers covering the event captured glimpses of this tumultuous soul, showing itself in the silence before a serve, the quiet determination of a player mid-volley, the relief of victory and the sinking realisation of defeat.

It showed itself in Alexandra Eala's expression as she fell while trying to make a forehand return against third seed Iga Swiatek. Her gritted teeth summed up the 21-year-old's battle against the odds to beat a six-time major winner.

"I just managed to fit her whole body and ball into the frame as an upright when her fall made a landscape shape naturally," said Toby Melville, who had positioned himself to capture Eala's celebration, but unexpectedly caught one of the tournament's best competitive moments.

The enormity of the occasion is also evident in Jaimi Joy's image of Otto Virtanen who, during a hard-fought first-round win, walked up to a courtside barrier during a moment of frustration and looked like he wanted to disappear into the green canvas.

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