Wimbledon

I don’t mean to brag, but I was on the “non-traveling” tennis team in high school. The “non-traveling” members of the team were so far down the roster that our matches didn’t count, and therefore, our attendance was not required. Because my experience with tennis lies in the distant past and is less than spectacular, I can’t remember the rules or the complicated scoring method. But that did not stop me from attending and thoroughly enjoying Wimbledon on a recent layover in London. 

It helped that I went with a flying partner who loves and actively follows the game. Because he knows a thing or two about the sport, I left the planning to him. He studied the day’s program and mapped out an itinerary of matches.

We started in a very long queue, as they say in England. You can avoid the long lines by buying a Centre Court ticket in advance. But those (no surprise) are not cheap. Fans who are either poorer or more spontaneous (or both) can queue up for same-day Ground Passes. These tickets cost 27 pounds ($32) and allow general admission access to all courts except for the big three Centre Courts. 

Side note: Ground Pass holders can queue up once again in the afternoon for deeply discounted Center Court tickets (10 pounds). Center Court ticket holders turn in these seats as they leave. The re-sell of their tickets goes towards charity. It’s a win/win operation. Poorer, more spontaneous fans can enjoy the more prominent matches and names for a fraction of the cost while generating charitable pounds. 

My flying partner and I didn’t have the time or energy for a second line, but we had a great day bouncing around the other 15 courts and the lawn. The infamous lawn is where some people choose to picnic while watching the more significant matches on jumbo screens. 

That was fun for a minute. But we decided we could watch tv at home and set out in search of some live games. 

Our first stop was to see a female French player, Alize Cornet. During the match, people filed in and out of the seats, allowing us to grab two seats in the front row. I couldn’t believe how close we were to the action. We were literally on top of the court. I was taking lots of pictures when my friend said, “I’m not sure you’re supposed to have your phone out.” At that moment, the French player stopped, glanced directly at me, and started walking straight toward us. I thought, “OH NO! She’s coming to yell at me for breaking her concentration.” I was getting ready to apologize profusely in a fake British accent when she suddenly grabbed her towel and started wiping off her sweat. 

Next, we headed to another women’s match between Elena Rybakina and Bianca Andreescu. In 2019, Bianca won both the US and Canadian Open by beating Serena Williams (both times). But this time Rybakina pulled out the win -with her impressive 117-mile-an-hour serve.

By the way, Rybakina went on to win the whole thing! 

After that match, we took a lunch break. There are many dining options throughout the grounds, but we chose a rather up-scale, cafeteria-style venue mainly because the line wasn’t very long. I ordered salmon served with three different side salads. It tasted fresh and healthy. The desserts looked amazing, but I opted for the famous Wimbledon strawberries and cream. This is a thing at Wimbledon, along with the Pimms Cup cocktail. I didn’t partake in a Pimms Cup; I was too jet-lagged for that. But the strawberries and cream were delightful and also fresh and healthy.  

From there, we rushed over to watch Denis Shapovalov from Canada battle it out with Brandon Nakashima from the US. I enjoyed watching the women, but I wanted to witness the power of a men’s match. It didn’t disappoint, partly because Shapovalov is a very stylish player.

However, I was starting to feel a little nauseous -as one does after being awake for 24+ hours. So, I decided it was time to walk back to the tube station to take the hour train ride back to London, the hotel, and my bed. 

When I set out on my trip last week, I hadn’t planned to go to Wimbledon, but I’m so glad I did. My layover was 22 hours and 27 pounds well spent. And I’d definitely go again. Only next time, I’ll pack accordingly. I noticed many men wearing summer suits and women dressed in pretty sundresses. I’d call the dress code: Garden Party. It looked a little bit like the Kentucky Derby without the hats. I think. I’ve never been to the Kentucky Derby. 

Yet!