Why is Wimbledon playing on Middle Sunday? Centre Court Centenary celebrations mark historic occasion

Author Photo
Getty

'Middle Sunday' of Wimbledon for many years has been one of the most sacred days in the tennis calendar — despite there not actually being any tennis played.

However, that's changed this year with the Wimbledon 2022 edition seeing matches take place on Sunday, July 3, meaning there will be games across all 14 days of the tournament.

Centre Court has been the main stage at the Championships since 1922, when the tournament relocated from SW19's Worple Road to Church Road, and today marks its 100th year.

Why is Wimbledon playing on Middle Sunday?

Traditionally, Middle Sunday has been part of the All England Club schedule to allow grass courts time to recover, while offering another day of rest for the players.

However, to avoid 'Manic Monday' when a host of matches are usually rushed through in order to make up for an absence of games, advances in technology, as well as fan demand, now mean Sunday matches can be played.

Ian Hewitt, the All England Lawn Tennis Club chairman, claimed improved court maintenance technology has helped.

"It's important at this stage of the development of the sport that Wimbledon should be even more accessible to the people who want to access it and at the times at which they are best able to," he told The Guardian.

"We consider that it's in the best interests of the tennis fans that Wimbledon should be available to be watched and attended throughout that middle weekend."

The French Open has traditionally used three scheduled Sundays and the Australian and US Opens have two, while Wimbledon has only ever had one: the last Sunday of the fortnight, when the men's singles final takes place.

Until this year, play has previously taken place on the Middle Sunday at Wimbledon on four separate occasions — 1991, 1997, 2004 and 2016 — when the weather was especially bad and play was needed to avoid the finals being played the following Monday or Tuesday.

MORE: Which British players are playing at Wimbledon today?

What matches are taking place on Middle Sunday?

Fourth-round singles matches have been spread across two days with men's and women's clashes taking place.

On the outside courts there's also a good mix of men's, women's and mixed doubles round-of-16 contests as well as the boys' and girls' singles matches in the early stages of the tournament.

The full order of play for Middle Sunday can be seen here.

Centre Court Centenary celebrations

Sunday, July 3 marks 100 years of Centre Court and there will be celebrations from 1.30 p.m. BST/8.30 a.m. ET to mark the occasion.

Veteran tennis broadcasters Sue Barker, John McEnroe and Clare Balding will host the ceremony before Heather Watson takes on Jule Niemeier for a place in the women's singles quarterfinals, the first match on Centre Court today.

There will be a parade of former champions — eight-time men's singles victor Roger Federer will be there — a live musical performance from Freya Ridings and plenty of video compilations to mark some of the best moments seen on Centre Court over the past century.

Author(s)
Author Photo
Dan is a sub-editor for The Sporting News' UK edition.
LATEST VIDEOS