All
England Club say move makes event more accessible to fansChange will begin next year and means end of Manic MondayThe All England Lawn
Tennis Club has announced that
Wimbledon will no longer schedule a rest day on its middle Sunday from 2022, transitioning to a full 14-day tournament next year. The move will end one of the tournament’s core traditions, aligning it with the other three major championships.
Since Wimbledon’s inception in 1877, middle Sunday has hosted play on only four occasions – 1991, 1997, 2004 and 2016 – all due to rain delaying the tournament schedule. A rest day has previously been described as a necessity for the maintenance of the grass, a delicate surface that deteriorates throughout the fortnight. According to the AELTC chairman, Ian Hewitt, improved court maintenance technology has offered the tournament the opportunity to evolve.