Wimbledon need to make a rule change after what’s happened during Alexander Zverev and Jiri Lehecka’s match
Alexander Zverev and Jiri Lehecka’s fourth round match was curtailed due to the infamous Wimbledon curfew.
Zverev and Lehecka took place on Centre Court after both Alexandra Eala vs Jasmine Paolini and Grigor Dimitrov vs Arthur Fery went the distance.
The pair did not begin their match until around 8:30pm, giving them a race against time to get their match finished before the curfew.
That did not happen and play was suspended with Zverev two sets up against his Czech opponent, and the third set split at 3-3.
Wimbledon’s inability to start their main courts until 1:30pm is the major reason for this and the Grand Slam must make a chance for the 2027 event.
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A Grand Slam event simply has to be able to finish three main court matches before a curfew, especially with no rain delays, or there will continue to be suspensions of play.
While Wimbledon should be applauded for opting to stick by their curfew, as it allows players to recovery from their matches better, there is little reason why they can’t start play at 11am like they do with the ‘outside’ courts.
Wimbledon’s reasoning to start play on Centre Court and Court One is to allow more fans into the matches, but they will acclimatise in no time at all if the Grand Slam makes the change.
The London event is one of the best populated tournaments in the world and fans would be more than willing to arrive a few hours earlier if it meant they got to see the culmination of matches.
It’s also put Zverev or Lehecka in an uncomfortable position as they will no longer get a day off between their matches. Either man will have to play three days in a row, which could give them a disadvantage.
At the latter stages of the tournament, that is the last thing either man would need. While Zverev could be finished in as little as three games, there is every chance the break in play could help Lehecka produce a fightback.
With a potential two and a half sets left to play, Zverev and Lehecka could have to play nearly another whole match on Centre Court on Tuesday, July 7th’s order of play.
That could also derail Tuesday’s order of play, with Jessica Pegula set for a clash with Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic facing Felix Auger-Aliassime.
If Wimbledon would make a simple tweak to their format and start matches at 11am on Centre Court and Court One, this could be avoided for future installments of the iconic Grand Slam.
Other Grand Slams start earlier, so Wimbledon should absolutely follow suit from the 2027 edition.
