Wimbledon Conditions
Grass-court tennis is definitely unique. The courts are slicker and faster than most, and the ball doesn’t bounce as high as it does elsewhere. Tennis Abstract’s Surface Speed ratings have Wimbledon at 1.12. That means that players hit 12% more aces at Wimbledon in 2024 than they did on tour-average surfaces. Naturally, these courts favor big servers, but you can’t just be a servebot. Variety goes a long way on grass, which is why players that can play at the net, utilize slice shots and hit good dropshots also play well at this time of year.
The conditions do change over the course of the tournament, though. Earlier in the tournament, when the grass looks verdant, things are much faster. As the grass becomes a little more worn, things slow down significantly, and the bounces can be all over the place. That’s why players with adaptability tend to do well at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon Players To Watch
Mirra Andreeva (12-1): Will Andreeva find her game—or a sense of calm—in London? The 18-year-old has lost three of her last four matches, and one of those saw her breaking down mentally against massive underdog Lois Boisson in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. Andreeva had trouble dealing with the raucous crowd, and the internal struggles have carried over a bit since.
Andreeva is extremely young, so it’s understandable that she’s still learning to deal with certain situations. But she has the game to win majors right now, so expectations are only getting higher.
I’m also interested in seeing how Andreeva looks in these conditions. She got blasted off the court by Linda Noskova in Bad Homburg, and that has previously been a good matchup for her. I’m now wondering whether or not she has the game to win on grass right now. Andreeva is just 4-5 on the surface, and it might take her some time to add the muscle and firepower she needs to push opponents around on grass.
