Novak Djokovic has urged Wimbledon to rethink the scheduling of matches on Centre Court, calling on the All England Club to push forward the start time from 1.30pm to midday.
The defending champion completed a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-4 victory over Hubert Hurkacz on Monday after play was suspended the previous evening with only two sets completed because of the tournament’s 11pm curfew.
Andy Murray encountered a similar situation during his second-round defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas, when the players were forced off court just as the former champion was gathering a head of steam. Wary of the potential for disruption, Murray had specifically asked not to be given the third slot on Centre Court. He made his feelings plain following his five-set defeat by pointedly sharing an article calling on the club to scrap the 1.30pm starts that have been in place for the past two years.
Djokovic, who will play for a third successive day when he faces Andrey Rublev on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals, also voiced concerns about late finishes last year, pointing out that completing the day’s play under a closed roof had effectively created an indoor tournament. The Serbian second seed doubled down on that stance following his win over Hurkacz, pointing out that the contest began in still, humid and slippery conditions under the Centre Court roof, and resumed in a blustery wind that made it difficult to establish a consistent rhythm on serve..
“I think so,” said Djokovic, when asked if the 1.30pm start should be re-evaluated. “I agree with that. Obviously curfew is probably something that is much more difficult to change, I understand, because of the community and the residential area we are in.
“[But] I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12pm. I think it would make a difference.”
While play on No 1 Court begins at 1pm, matches on Centre Court were moved back half an hour in 2021, when a 20-minute break between matches was also introduced. The latter decision was undertaken with spectators in mind, the All England Club reasoning that such gaps allowed the crowd to take a break between matches and “experience the whole of the championships”.
Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Club, reiterated that defence following the suspension of Djokovic’s match on Sunday, denying that the Wimbledon schedule is shaped by the demands of broadcasters eager to screen primetime entertainment.
“Every year we look at everything, and we get feedback from all of our guest groups, from the player groups and from all of our stakeholders,” said Bolton. “As we always do, we will have a look at that beyond this year’s championships.
“Historically, we’ve always started play on our show courts around early afternoon. And that’s very much about ensuring people have the opportunity to get on court, so as much as is possibly the case, we have full courts for when the players will come. That’s still absolutely our intention.
“The other thing we think about carefully is the fact that when people buy tickets and come to Wimbledon, they want to experience a day at the championships. That involves seeing some play on outside courts, perhaps getting something to eat, getting some strawberries and cream, we understand that our guests want that whole day.
“The broadcasters are one of the stakeholders that we consult as we put together all of the plans for the Championships but no, they’re not having a direct input into start time on court,” added Bolton.
“As far as the TV audience is concerned, matches are happening at a time when they’re accessible to people. We’re seeing viewing figures that are beyond our expectations and beyond previous years.”
Be that as it may, the impact of the tournament’s late starts on the players has been undeniable. Djokovic, who completed his third-round win over Stan Wawrinka under the Centre Court roof just 14 minutes before the curfew, emphasised his respect for Wimbledon’s continued observance of certain traditions while outlining some of the undertainties posed by the vagaries of the schedule.
“Once the time is over 8pm, you know that there’s a high probability you won’t finish your match,” said the seven-time champion. That was the case against Wawrinka and Hurkacz. Both of the matches started almost actually at 9pm.
“I warmed up for both of those matches around 1pm, something like this. Should you go back to the accommodation, the house nearby, or should you stay? Yesterday I decided to stay. I stayed basically for seven hours waiting for my match to start.
“It’s tricky, especially if there are a lot of players and a lot of stuff, members of the respective players’ teams, and they all occupy spaces for rest. It’s not easy to find a corner where you can just be by yourself.
“Wimbledon has been so attached, I would say connected, with its tradition and history in not changing certain things, which I respect a lot. I think there are wonderful things to keep with history, like the defending champion going out on the first day.
“There are different ways that I’m sure they will address this issue and try to avoid having these kind of problems in the future.”