Wimbledon aims to avoid another slippery court furore

Wimbledon’s head groundsman says his team has learnt lessons after last year’s slipping controversy, which saw players retiring injured from Centre Court.

Neil Stubley, head of courts at the All England Club, told The Telegraph he has spent more time tending the famous grass surfaces than he has with his own children in the last month in a bid for a perfect start to the Championships on Monday.

The opening days of the 2021 tournament were beset with incidents, with Serena Williams injuring herself so badly after slipping on the grass that she could not carry on.

Frenchman Adrian Mannarino also had to retire hurt after slipping in his match against Roger Federer, while Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the grand slam, said he couldn’t remember falling over so many times on a court after his first-round win.

Now Mr Stubley has described a perfect storm of circumstances, which he is praying will not be repeated this week.

He explained how his team always aim to start the Championships with as much moisture in the ground as they dare, to give the courts the best chance of surviving the marathon fortnight of intensive use, which sees the surfaces progressively dry. But the threat of rain forced them to close the roof, upsetting their delicate plans.

“In 2021 it was the first time we’ve experienced the roof on for day one,” he said. “Even though the roof had been in play since 2009, it had never come into play for day one.”

That, coupled with the mild conditions, meant the moisture couldn’t escape.

“In any grass court tennis tournament, whether ours or anybody else’s, in the first two or three days there’s always that risk of slipping.”

He added: “It’s something that we learn. We learn every Championships. The weather always