The Wimbledon Championships is arguably the most awaited tournament in the tennis calendar year. Being the sport’s oldest Grand Slam, it has always attracted attention for its prestige and staunch following of traditions laid down by its founders. With grass courts requiring a different set of balls to be played on, the tennis community seems to be at large intrigued by the balls used at Wimbledon each year. There are some interesting points regarding the same, ahead of the 2023 edition, which begins on July 3.
The history behind Wimbledon 2023 match balls
As per a PTI report, it is widely believed that no product in the world of business requires to go through 11 countries across 4 continents of the world to be manufactured and then processed, before being quality checked and finalized. British sports equipment manufacturer and brand, Slazenger has been the official ball partner of the Wimbledon Championships since 1902. However, to save up on costs, it has always relied on a part of the Philippines, called Bataan, while buying materials and chemicals from Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, China, New Zealand and Malaysia for the same. The process also involves USA and Greece in the Western countries, which are specialists in possessing vast amounts of clay and silica respectively.
According to the Los Angeles Times, as many as 55000 balls are used on average each year at the Championships. The All England Club has delighted tennis enthusiasts over the years by having a separate kiosk for ‘Used balls’, which can be purchased at nominal rates, anywhere between $3-5 and all the proceeds go to charity. At the Championships, yellow-colored balls were introduced in 1986.
Where to buy the Wimbledon 2023 match ball from?
The ball used at Wimbledon can be purchased online in the USA here. The prices available at the moment are $14, $24 and $33. Slazenger’s official website also has several offers, while describing the Wimbledon ball as the most water-resistant out of all tennis balls used due to its Hydroguard technology.
Balls Used at Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios creates infamous controversy
Nick Kyrgios, who was the finalist in the Wimbledon Men’s Singles 2022 event, stirred up another controversy which again came in the limelight recently. While Kyrgios was forgiving of Stefanos Tsitsipas for his comments on his impact on the game recently, he is unwilling to apologize to Rafael Nadal for a 2019 incident. Tempers flared when Nadal and Kyrgios clashed in the Wimbledon 2019 Championships, which the Spaniard clinched in 4 sets. However, one shocking moment involved Kyrgios deliberately trying to hit Nadal with the ball on his chest while aggressively coming forward to win a point. Not surprisingly, Nadal branded Kyrgios as ‘dangerous’ after the match, which soured their relations for years.
