Sports Management Q2 2011 - UUM

TENNIS
The UK might not have produced a Grand Slam
champion in a few years, but it’s still home to the
world’s best tennis tournament. Kath Hudson
finds out what goes on in the Wimbledon build up
Gearing up for Wimbledon
G
reen grass, tennis whites,
strawberries and cream, Cliff
Richard, Murray Mound….
Wimbledon has a massive
sporting heritage and is an iconic event
for the UK. Even those who don’t know
Alex Bogdanovic from Rafael Nadal start
to show an interest when the sport hits
prime time TV in mid June.
The oldest tennis tournament in the
world, and widely considered the most
prestigious of the four Grand Slams,
Wimbledon is the only one still played
on grass (the game’s original surface).
Now gearing up for the 125th Championships,
the management at the All
England Lawn Tennis Club is continually
looking for ways to refine and improve
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the experience – making sure it retains
its character, but also keeps up with the
modern game.
Ongoing improvement
All England Lawn Tennis Club chief
executive, Ian Ritchie, emphasises the
importance of continual improvement:
“In recent years we’ve had a complete
transformation of the grounds and ancillary
facilities to enhance the customer
experience,” he says. “We’ve added the
Centre Court retractable roof for use in
inclement weather, we’ve installed wider,
padded seating for comfort and now offer
a wider selection of catering choices.
We’ve also enhanced the player and media
facilities – all of which have improved
the tournament immeasurably.”
Built in 1922 and arguably the most
famous tennis court in the world, Centre
Court has been through major
The All England Tennis Club opens its
doors to 40,000 spectators each day of
the 13-day Wimbledon tournament
Issue 2 2011 © cybertrek 2011
PHOTO: TOM LOVELOCK / AELTC