The Grass Tennis Courts of Wimbledon

This entry is part of the Wimbledon’s Grass is Always Greener series. Please click here to read the rest of On the Baseline’s exclusive series!

I had no earthly idea just how much work it takes to grow grass at Wimbledon. I have had some minor, and I mean minor experience at growing grass for a personal yard, but I never dreamed of what it takes to produce the finely manicured courts of SW19. I guess I just took for granted the work that goes into the courts each and every year. With all the focus on the millionaire stars of the ATP and WTA Tour tennis circuits, it is easy to forget the months of work that goes into the two-week event.

One man in particular, Eddie Seaward, has a pretty good idea of all the work that is required to pull off the Championships each year. For the past fifteen years, Seaward has been the head groundsman at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, leading a crew of fourteen permanent grounds staff, and an additional fourteen workers during the championships. I also failed to recognize the magnititude of the grounds; Wimbledon boasts not only nineteen main courts, but also twenty-two grass practice courts!

Maintaining the grass on forty-one tennis courts is definitely not an easy task. Each day of the Championships, the grass courts are relined, rolled, and mowed to a precise 8mm in height. A maximum 3,000 gallons of water is allotted for use during the two weeks, but nature often provides more than enough watering during the tournament! The AELTC also does not use paint to mark the lines on the court, but the groundsmen use a special compound that contains china clay to create the white lines.

The work at Wimbledon may lighten up after the Championships, but not by much. The AELTC is a functioning tennis club, although Centre Court and Court No. 1 are only used during the official tournament. The workers reseed the courts normally as soon as the Championships end, in preparation of the next year’s event. Reseeding the courts requires an amazing amount of grass seed; each year they use approximately one ton of 100% perennial ryegrass.

The care and dedication shown by Eddie Seaward, his groundsmen, and all the behind-the-scenes staff is what makes the Championships happen. Without their diligence and that of the AELTC, Wimbledon would cease to exist. Grass may grow on its own, but the upkeep and maintenance is performed by the unsung heroes, the men using the lawnmowers, marking the lines, and emptying the garbage cans. Their jobs may not seem to be as important as the stars that turn out for the world’s most prestigious tennis event, but the workers perform each year to the best of their ability. For in the eyes of the people of England, Wimbledon is much more than just a tennis tournament; it is a living piece of tennis tradition and history.

(Championships at Wimbledon information taken from the Grass Courts - General Information 2006 and the Preparation of Courts for the Championships 2006 media information sheets)

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