The iconic Wimbledon grass has once again made headlines as it continues to be the stage for numerous player tumbles. Novak Djokovic, aged 37, joined this list of players who have fallen victim to the challenging surface during his match in the fourth round on Monday.
The former world No 1 attributed the difficulty to the closed roofs atop the show courts, asserting that the grass becomes "more slippery" when covered and has led to injuries. More than a dozen players have encountered similar predicaments this year due to nearly a month's worth of rain during the initial week of the tournament.
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu experienced a slip and was forced to take an official break in the third set of her fourth-round match against New Zealand's Lulu Sun, 23, on Sunday. Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov retired after injuring himself during his encounter with Daniil Medvedev, 28, at Centre Court earlier that same day.
The roofs of the Centre and Court 1 show courts have been closed for much of this tournament due to limited dry days in its initial week, resulting in eight falls while they were covered on these courts.
"Once you close the roof, it feels like we've been playing an indoor grass court tournament here more than [an] outdoor," Djokovic explained after his match against Denmark's Holger Rune, 21, in Monday evening's encounter. "But once you do that, there's a higher chance for players to lose their balance and fall."
He continued, "Unfortunately, some of these falls have resulted in several players having to withdraw due to injuries, such as Dimitrov [on Sunday] or Alexander Zverev earlier this week. I mean it's just part of the surface; you can't really do anything about that."
Speaking on Monday, Sally Bolton, the All England Club (AELTC) chief executive, refuted claims that the roofs were responsible for the recent slips: "The two show courts with the roofs are very dry. The roof has not been open significantly – there isn't any dampness in them," she told reporters.
"These systems have worked as intended and we have no concerns about the state of these courts." Bolton added that although grass naturally holds more moisture during the first few days of the championships, it tends to dry out over time.
The AELTC stated earlier in the season that 600 air distributors were used to pump dry air into the courts and prevent condensation buildup on the surface.
"Grass is grass," Wimbledon's former world No 4, Greg Rusedski, expressed his opinion as he prepared for mixed-invitation doubles. "You can expect some challenges with it."
Rusedski defended the surface when questioned about its conditions: "It's called grass; you're supposed to slip," he said.
"There were times in the past where players would complain about bounces, but we must adjust and embrace this sporting challenge."
The condition of Wimbledon's grass has also garnered attention in previous years, as it caused Serena Williams to withdraw from her 2019 match after a slip, while Djokovic had voiced his frustration with the frequency of falls during past tournaments.
