Prior to this year’s French Open, I wrote an article about clay courts. With Wimbledon about to start, it’s time to focus on grass courts. The grass court season on this surface is shorter than the hard court or clay court seasons.
Wimbledon, of course, is the most famous tournament played on grass. I have never played tennis on a grass court and it is definitely near the top of my bucket list of things I want to try.
Grass Courts Season
After the French Open, the players move to the grass courts in preparation for Wimbledon, which is played in late June to early July. According to some historians, tennis was played on grass as early as the 18th century. The season on this surface is much shorter compared to clay and hard surfaces as players compete on grass for only 6 weeks.
There are a total of 8 grass court tournaments on the ATP tour this year. Two ATP 250 tournaments, in Germany and the Netherlands, were played the same week in mid-June. These were followed the following week by two more ATP 500 tournaments in Great Britain and Germany.
These were followed by two more ATP 250 tournaments at the end of June in Spain and Great Britain. Wimbledon takes place in early July. Interestingly, there is one final grass court tournament after Wimbledon in Newport, Rhode Island in mid-July.
While Wimbledon is the most famous tournament, and only Grand Slam, to be played on grass, did you know that it is not the only Grand Slam to have ever been played on grass?
Credit: AELTC/Bob Martin
FUN FACT: Throughout history, two other Grand Slam tournaments were played on grass. The US Open, which has been played on hard courts since 1978, was originally played on grass from 1881-1974. From 1975-1977 it was played on clay, and then moved to hard court in 1978. In addition, the Australian Open was played on grass until 1988.
Features of Grass Courts
Grass is a natural surface and is difficult to maintain. Weather conditions can greatly impact the conditions of a grass court. Great Britain’s weather suits grass courts well, which is why many of grass tournaments are played there.
The ball on grass has a lower bounce and the grass causes the ball to move faster than on hard or clay courts. Since it is grass, players also tend to slip on this surface which is why play is quickly suspended when it rains. Grass favors players who have play a fast game, including those with a great serve. We often see more aces on grass than on other surfaces.
Credit: AELTC
In the past, many players would serve and volley on grass courts. While this still happens sometimes, a large number of players currently prefer an aggressive style of play from the baseline. This is why the baseline area of grass courts gets damaged and worn down quickly as the tournament progresses.
Grass-Courts Specialists
In the open era, which began in 1968 when professional tennis players were allowed to compete alongside amateur players, four names stand out. The legendary Swiss player, Roger Federer, won Wimbledon eight times and is holds the record for the most wins.
Now that Roger is retired, it is possible that Novak Djokovic can equal or exceed Federer’s record. Djokovic has won Wimbledon seven times, including the last 4 tournaments, in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 (Wimbledon was not played in 2020 due to Covid epidemic).
Federer also holds the record for the most ever wins on grass, with 19 tournaments won on grass.
Credit: ABACA/PA Images
Prior to Roger Federer, another famous player, Pete Sampras, was synonymous with this tournament. “Pistol Pete” was almost unbeatable in this tournament until Roger showed up. During the eight-year period from 1993-2000, Sampras won Wimbledon an incredible seven times.
In a great match at the 2001 Wimbledon, the then 19-year-old Federer defeated Sampras in five sets. Federer was then defeated by Tim Henman in the quarterfinals. Two years later, in 2003, Roger Federer won his first title at Wimbledon.
Roger played many great matches at Wimbledon, including the longest ever Wimbledon final in 2019. In this match, which was 4 hours and 57 minutes long, current world number #1, Novak Djokovic, defeated Federer in five sets, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 6-4, 13-12 (7-3).
On the women’s side, Martina Navratilova stands out as the greatest Wimbledon player. She won Wimbledon an extraordinary 9 times, more than any tennis player, male or female. Navratilova also won Wimbledon doubles seven times and mixed doubles four times, for a grand total of 20 tournament championships at Wimbledon.
Other great women at Wimbledon include Steffi Graf and Serena Williams, who each won Wimbledon seven times, and Venus Williams, who won Wimbledon five times.
Wimbledon And Other Grass Tournaments
Wimbledon is the oldest tournament in the world and the most prestigious tournament played on grass. This tournament has been traditionally held at the end of June and the beginning of July for almost 150 years.
In addition to Wimbledon, several other prominent tournaments are played on grass, including the Stuttgart Open, Halle Open, Queen’s Club Championships, and Eastbourne International. On the women’s side, WTA grass tournaments include those played in Nottingham, Birmingham, Berlin and Bad Homburg.
