The grass of the fields of Wimbledon it is composed entirely of the variety Loietto Perenne (Lolium perenial) chosen because it grows quickly, resists the intense footprint of the players and guarantees a low and regular rebound. It is cut every day so that it is high 8 millimetersa precise measure that helps to maintain a quick and uniform surface. There maintenance It is a continuous job: during the year the fields are subjected to seeds, aerations, calibrated irrigations and antifungal treatments to maintain the soil compact and humid. But with the passing of the shifts, the grass is consumed especially in the central areas Due to the continuous trampling and the sliding of the players, letting the underlying land emerge. This drastically change the rebound Of the ball: becomes higher, slow and irregular by influencing the game and strategies, making the field a decisive factor, especially in the final stages.
Behind Wimbledon grass: Science and Tennis Prato Treatment
Wimbledon is the only tournament of Grand Slam That is played on the grass and this makes a huge difference in the way the matches develop. In the months preceding the tournament and during the competition, the grassy mantle of 18 fields in which the matches are played (including the most famous on Central field) plus others dedicated to training are treated in detail by approximately 40 gardeners and experts in horticulture. These fields are subjected to daily attention with about 20,000 measurements per daywith the lawn cut to 8 millimeters measured with laser instruments every day, a precise measure that directly influences the rebound of the ball, making it fast but predictable. This height has been designed to balance speed and integrity of the turf because if too short the grass risks damaging itself, if too high the game slows down.
Maintenance lasts months: it is sowing in autumn, the soil is ventilated by practicing small holes to make the roots breathe And the humidity is controlled with calibrated irrigation. In addition, the maintenance team employed every day analyzes the hardness of the field (with penetrometers), the density of the stems And the pigmentation of the leaves To monitor the health of the grass, also using tools such as the Clegg Hammerwhich measures compactness up to 5 centimeters under the surface. The ground is made of a special mix of clay and sand To drain the water well by avoiding stagnation, fundamental for the health of the grass. All to ensure that the grassy mantle can bear the approximately 250 hours of intense game. The most affected areas are the Fund line field and the service areawhere players move more. Here the grass tends to consume itself, letting the earth emerge: the result is that the rebound changes, becoming higher and less uniformwith a direct impact on game strategies.
In the heart of English summer, gardeners rely on specific products such as i Wetting agentan additive that makes the water more penetrating and increases the ability to absorb the soil, limiting water stress even in the days of torrid heat, when you overcome i 32 ° Cas happened in recent years. It is a little known detail, but fundamental to maintain the uniformity of the field even with high temperatures. In the 90s, one was even developed robotic machine that simulates the movements of a human foot To test the wear of the grass varieties. This led to the selection of the perennial Loietto, able to support Over 1000 footprints per square meter before damaging visibly.
The change of Wimbledon’s grass came in 2001: like this he influenced the game
In 2001 Wimbledon made a historical decision, namely that of abandoning the traditional grassy mixture used until then, composed for the 70% from Loietto perennial and from 30% from fested fester To move on to the current 100% composition of the perennial Loietto. It was a choice technique And strategicborn to respond to the players’ requests and improve the field holding. Loietto is more resistant to the trampling, grows more quickly after cutting, has dense and deep roots and guarantees a more regular rebound of the ball.
The change of the grassy mantle has undoubtedly led tennis players to adopt different game tactics. In fact, in the previous decades, the game in Wimbledon was almost always dominated by those who needed well and immediately went to the net with the serve-and-nvleythat is, the tactic to serve and run immediately forward to close the point by hitting the ball on the fly. There were games with exchanges of 2 or 3 shots based almost only onexplosiveness of the service: in the 1997 edition, for example, Pete Sampras he won the tournament playing beyond the 70 % of network points and closing more than 75 %. Today such numbers have almost disappeared. After the new turf of 2001, the percentage of points resolved with the serve -and -nintley collapsed: in 2002 it was al 33 %in 2005 to 19 %, Since 2008 he has been ranging between the 5 % and 10 %.
The change of grass also had a physical impact. With the new ground, the rebound of the ball has risen by a few centimeters than in the 90s, while remaining lower than that of concrete or beaten earth. This has favored the development of a more varied tennis: you can see more exchanges from the field, more topspin (the ball is hit from top to bottom), but also more varieties in the blows like slice (Shop Shop) which remains low and unpredictable. According to some statistics, today the ball bounces on average to approximately 23-24 cm on grass in the first week of tournament, but can reach 26-28 cm In the second, when the grass is consumed and the earth emerges.
Today’s grass is therefore less “dancer” than in the past. The rebounds are more predictablebut with the advance of the tournament and the increase in the games played – especially on the central field and on field 1 – The surface changes face anyway. After the first week, the grass thinks, the earth appears and the players must change tactics. Some retreat half a meter, others anticipate the blow even more so as not to be surprised. But who knows how to read this change has an advantage.
