SW Covid 19

So I’m all set for finals weekend: diary cleared; strawberries and cream in the fridge, cake too as a special treat in case the matches run long, plus a bottle or two of rosé ready to toast the champions. Except of course, courtesy of Covid, I won’t be watching ‘live’ tennis on TV. Instead I’m depending on dear old BBC’s Sue Barker and partner tennis stars to present what are actually turning out to be even more stirring match highlights of each day over previous Wimbledon championship fortnights.

It all started with startling photos in the press of the verdant Wimbledon grass courts, still being expertly maintained at the club, despite the event being well cancelled. How I mourned the loss. But then again, there had been no build up to the ‘Big One’, no Melbourne or Paris or Queens, to whet the appetite. Maybe it was for the best that Wimbledon didn’t tumble into real life like some surprise un-lockdown party. Better to celebrate former Grand Slam greats, their victories and their heart-breaking losses. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve often had tears in my eyes watching again the brilliance of amongst many others, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Rafa Nadal, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, the Williams sisters, the late Jana Novotná and of course, Andy Murray and the supreme all-rounder, Roger Federer. Like many other things over these extraordinary few months, it’s been a privilege to have time to re-visit past pleasures, to reflect on and savour the joys we have had. I include in that my Wimbledon Fortnights. I am lucky enough to have enjoyed quite a few days at the tournament in person but mostly they have been spent in front of the TV. That’s where you will find me this weekend. Not so new balls please!