Racket repairs – while you wait
While thousands of fans move around the grounds enjoying Wimbledon’s characteristic British composure, a busy operation unfolds behind the scenes to ensure the tournament runs smoothly. The restringing facility is particularly active, having processed a record 6,565 rackets during last year’s event, averaging nearly 500 per day.
“The balls change slightly every year,”explains Josh Sillick, who works at the stall managed by the tournament’s official restringing partner, Babolat.
“If they get fluffier more quickly, then the players have to hit them harder, and heat can potentially make a difference too. When a player breaks a string, they can hand it over [to a ball boy or ball girl] and they’ll run over to get it restrung, and they can get it done in 10 or 15 minutes.”
