Jane Voigt — Tennis With An Accent
Sports can be noisy. In most places the louder the better. Wimbledon, however, is that rare and precious exception.
On Monday, the entire sporting world turned its focus on Wimbledon, taking notice of the sounds of silence from fans, players and media at The All-England Club. Top seed Iga Swiatek and defending champion and 2-seed Novak Dkjokovic walked out on the manicured lawns of Court 1 and Centre Court, their precisely manicured grass courts undisturbed by anyone or anything. A more beautiful site would have been hard to find.
The walls surrounding these two courts, like frames on paintings, were bare of advertisements, except small-scale references to Slazenger tennis balls, the brand used by The Championships since 1902, plus the Rolex logo, whose scoreboards provide the epitome of timing excellence fit for a place like Wimbledon, the most prestigious of all the Grand Slam tournaments.
A few noticeable sounds emanating from these courts were the padding and tapping of players’ footwork, the chair umpires announcing scores, and the scattering of applause also timed perfectly to start and stop between the points. They busted through the silence like the crack of the ball smashing against the string beds of racquets during points.
“Wimbledon is the most prestigious event that has ever been known to tennis,” Stefanos Tsitsipas said in an interview from Netflix’s series, Break Point. “There’s an aura about it. The tranquility of the grass. The all-white dress code. And the silence. Complete silence.”
Tsitsipas’s face reflected reverence equal to, perhaps, a spiritual experience. His sentiments are not his alone, either. “[Wimbledon] is very proper and royal,” Chrissie Evert, 3-time ladies singles champion, added, alluding to a proper way to behave while at The All-England Club. In other words, speak when spoken to and listen to the what’s important during matches.
Compare that scene to the din rising from a soccer stadium with upwards of 90,000 fans revved up the max. Wall-to-wall noise. Non-stop noise. There’s nothing to equal that thundering enthusiasm and irreverence to protocol.
You won’t hear that at Wimbledon on any of its 18 play courts.
When fans react at Wimbledon, they do it as a mannerly collective. Venus Williams fell Monday, during her loss to Elina Svitolina. The 5-time champion let out a yelp so loud it pierced the silence. Yet even the gasps were uniformly British and reserved.
Additionally, fans rarely yell to a player a simple “come on.” Sounds, rather, center on that fuzzy yellow ball and the proper way to enjoy the experience.
The court surface, compared with red clay or a hard court, absorbs any sound players make except the light thump of their footwork as they track down a shot. On clay courts a scratchy noise arrises, as particles of crushed red bricks rub together while players slide and scramble. On a hard court, there’s the squeak, squeak, squeak of tennis shoes as players change direction, hustle for a drop shot or, on occasion, slide into a shot.
However, the most distinguishing feature of lawn tennis, especially lawn tennis at The Wimbledon Championships, is tradition. No advertisements on court. No electronic boards with their blinking messages like, “Break Point!,” or “Make some noise!” or “Match Point!” If you want to see those theatrics, get yourself to the U.S. Open, the slam that built its franchise on boisterousness.
One new feature at Wimbledon this year, though, seems to push the boundaries of its hardcore traditions: white attire, curtsies to whomever sits in the royal box, subtle promotion of brands, and that certain reverence players bring to this crown jewel of the Grand Slams.
“This year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament will use AI-powered commentary and player analysis, in a bid to help fans engage on ‘a deeper level’ with the championship,” decrypt.co wrote. IBM artificial intelligence tech “will generate audio and captions for match highlight videos, offering insight on key moments.”
This “digital experience,” as described by Usama Al-Qassab, marketing and commercial director of All England Lawn Tennis, allows fans to catch up on those matches that don’t get top billing: juniors, seniors, and wheelchair categories.
The majestic aura of Wimbledon now includes cutting-edge technology that helps spread the sights and sounds of its grandeur.
Nonetheless, one component of The Championships that it cannot control or change are players’ noises, like the audible kind that echo throughout any one of the three larger courts.
Take for example Aryna Sabalenka, the number-two seed this year in ladies’ singles. Her screams and moans, which only trail off as the ball passes over the net to the opponent’s court, have riled crowds around the world. She has been warned by chair umpires, but hasn’t changed her tune. The experience has left some people reluctant to even watch her powerful tennis, even after winning this year’s Australian Open and the Madrid Open, and reaching the final in Indian Wells.
The men have their share of grunters and moaners, as well. For example, Andrey Rublev, seeded number 7, lets out a deep grunt every time he strikes a ball. The tone seems more acceptable to some when compared to Sabalenka. There are others, as well, both men and women, who make their mark on the silence of Wimbledon through noises that, perhaps, help them with rhythm and pace. Nonetheless, grunting is grunting, an equal-opportunity part of some players’ games, but contrary to the grace of the lawns.
Wimbledon does have its drama and loud moments, such as when 7-seed American Coco Gauff struggled to keep up with Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the upset of the day. Nonetheless a fortnight might pass before Wimbledon finds its 2023 voice.
Tennis with an Accent 