Excited Tennis Fans Return To Wimbledon After 1-Year Break

WIMBLEDON, England — Throngs of ecstatic fans, gloomy sky.

Wimbledon has returned after a one-year break, and the gloomy, cloudy weather seemed fitting for a tournament known for its rain delays.

Hannah Scott, a 26-year-old graduate student from London who was among the first spectators to arrive on the grounds on Monday, described the weather as “perfect spectator weather.” “You’re not going to get sunburned.”

Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II last year due to the coronavirus epidemic. This year’s event will go a place, although with a decreased capacity at the start. The men’s and women’s finals, on the other hand, are expected to draw a crowd of 15,000 at Centre Court in two weeks.

The numerous admirers who rushed through the gates early Monday were greeted by the traditional flower-filled grounds. From the outset, stands offering food, beverages, and souvenirs were staffed and doing business, while stewards assisted spectators in finding their way around.

Of course, the weather had a role as well, delaying the start of the game by almost two hours.

Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, stated, “One of the things we thought long and hard about, worked hard to provide, is a familiar feel of The Championships.” “So, when people come at the gates this morning, as they are now, they will see and feel something very familiar — the Championships that we’ve all missed for the past two years.”

On his first visit to Wimbledon, Arlo Godwin, a 10-year-old child from London, was enjoying the rain and everything else the club had to offer.

Godwin, who was with his mother, said, “I’m always delighted.” “Last year, I was looking forward to it, but it didn’t happen. I did, however, watch a lot of Roland Garros.”

Novak Djokovic, who was first up on Centre Court in the usual slot for the defending men’s champion, is Godwin’s favourite player, but he and his mother had tickets for Court No. 2.

“We’ll see (Andrey) Rublev and then Dan Evans, who is British, which is excellent. “And Venus Williams, too,” Godwin said, his voice brimming with delight.

Unfortunately, the matches involving Evans and Williams were among those postponed till Tuesday due to rain a few hours later.

Helen Godwin was also attending Wimbledon for the first time, after several fruitless efforts to acquire tickets online in recent years. When she finally obtained them, it didn’t matter that Monday was Arlo’s school day.

Helen, a 48-year-old doctor who worked to set up a vaccination clinic during the epidemic, described the day off as “a cheeky day off school.” “Today is going to be a lot more educational.”

The pathways around the All England Club’s various courts, as well as the hill behind Court No. 1 where you can watch matches on a giant screen television — a site known as Murray Mount or, in years past, Henman Hill — are frequently filled with people. So far, the mood has been considerably calmer this year, with lots of room for people to move between the courts.

There’s even some additional room in the gift store, which Scott visited after going past the gates.

“I’m not meant to be here,” says the narrator. Scott, who bought a Wimbledon towel as a consolation present for her disappointed friend and then employed some tennis jargon to get herself in the spirit, said, “I got the ticket from a buddy who couldn’t make it.” “The game’s order of play has changed.”