THE Great British summer spent years doing its best to ruin matches at Wimbledon.
After regularly rain delays throughout the tournament’s history, and Cliff Richard keeping the crowd entertained, the All England Club finally decided enough was enough.
Wimbledon’s Centre Court with the roof fully closed
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Why was it installed?
After years of debate over the lengthy rain delays that would occur at the All England Club from fans, players, media and officials.
In 1996, Sir Cliff Richard famously sang for the crowd, while the 2008 men’s final between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal went on for a massive 4hrs 48mins, largely due to wet weather.
When was it installed?
Building work began in 2006, with the initial removal of the existing roof.
The complete retractable roof structure was ready for the 2009 championships after it’s unveiling in April 2009.
How long is the delay when the roof is closed?
The roof, designed from waterproof Tenara fabric, takes about 10 minutes to close.
But the total time for the transfer between outside and inside play can be up to 45 minutes, with the air conditioning needing time to acclimatise to indoor play.
The air con dries the grass to prevent slippage and injury.
The speed of the roof closing means that fans don’t need to pack wet weather gear and players don’t need to rush off court.
Can it be re-opened?
Once closed, tournament rules say it must remain closed until the match is completed, even if the weather improves in the meantime.
When was it first used?
The roof was first tested on May 17, 2009 in an exhibition match.
On June 29, 2009, in a fourth round ladies singles match between Amelie Mauresmo and Dinara Safina, the roof was closed for the first time in a competitive match – play had already begun when the rain came.
The first time a full match was played with the roof closed was contested in the 2009 championships, when Andy Murray beat Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round of the men’s singles competition.
The match went on until 10.38pm, which exceeded the existing record of 9.17pm.
The first Wimbledon final to be partially played under the roof was when Roger Federer beat Andy Murray in four sets in July 2012.
What else do we know?
The total weight of the roof, including the non-moving parts, is 3,000 tonnes.
The cost of the roof has not been disclosed by the All England Club, but is estimated at £80-£100 million.
There are plans for another retractable roof on Court No 1, which is due to be completed by 2019.
