Announced last week, the headline change to Wimbledon tradition . Real men and real women in Ralph Lauren blazers and slacks replaced by artificial intelligence. More of that later.
But the second change which - because of time being called on 147 years of human line calling - has gone largely unnoticed is the alteration to the schedule on the final weekend.
The women’s singles final will still be played on the Saturday and the men’s singles final on the Sunday but both will now start at 4pm rather than 2pm. The men’s doubles final will now take place before the women’s singles final and the women’s doubles final will take place before the men’s singles final.
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“We have adjusted the provisional schedule for the final weekend of The Championships with the ambition of improving the experience for all involved,” explained All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton. “The doubles players … will have increased certainty over their schedule and fans will enjoy each day’s play as it builds towards the crescendo of the singles finals, with our champions being crowned in front of the largest possible worldwide audience.”
And there is the real reason, in those last four words. Moving the singles finals from their traditional spots is not about ‘improving the experience for all involved’, it is about the American TV ratings.
For those on Eastern Time in the States, they can now watch the singles finals start at 11am. Even those tennis fans in Los Angeles might get out of bed at 8am to watch a final if an American happens to be in one.
Is it that much of a big deal whether a final begins at two o’clock or four o’clock? Probably not. But it’s the underlying principle that is dispiriting.
This is Wimbledon falling into line with so many other great sporting events in being made-for-TV, in being homogenised. The introduction of electronic line calling is generally seen as inevitable in this day and age. But what is wrong with tradition? What is wrong with being a bit different?
Is Augusta ever going to allow spectators - sorry, patrons - to take in their mobile phones? Or to run? Is the Masters any worse for its quirks? No. And, by the way, are we saying that a line judge’s erroneous call has ever meant Wimbledon got a champion that did not deserve to win? Of course not.
And, by the way, how do we really know the is accurate? How many times, for instance, have you watched a video review of an appeal in and been astonished where the computer tracker says the ball is going?
When Hawk Eye was first introduced to tennis, there were many players who distrusted it. Yes, to a certain extent, many sporting events have to move with the the times. But to see Wimbledon fall into line with TV and technology is just a little bit sad.
