Wimbledon Curfew: Time, Implications, and its True Meaning

Wimbledon Curfew: The intense second-round match between Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas was halted Thursday night, to the dismay of tennis fans. Historically, Grand Slam tournaments continue late into the night, but Wimbledon has slightly different norms.

Many wonder why the All England Championships have a stringent curfew. Here, WWD explains everything you need to know about the infamous curfew.

When is the Wimbledon closing time?

The Wimbledon curfew in London is at 11 p.m. local time. According to the terms of the tournament, all matches must conclude at this time.

Why does Wimbledon have a closing time?

The Wimbledon curfew has been in effect since 2009, when the Centre Court’s canopy was first opened.

In 2018, Wimbledon released the following statement: “The 11 p.m. curfew is a Planning Condition applied to balance the consideration of local residents with the scale of an international tennis tournament that takes place in a residential location. The challenge of transport connectivity and the safe return of tourists are also crucial factors.”

What repercussions does the Wimbledon curfew have?

As seen on Thursday, the curfew can result in the precipitous termination of a highly anticipated match.

Murray’s match against Stefanos Tsitsipas is not the only match affected by the curfew. After the third set of their 2018 semifinal, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were forced to halt their match. The match between Nick Kyrgios and Ugo Humbert was also suspended with the fifth set deadlocked at 3-3.

Exist any exceptions to the curfew?

When it comes to sports, the unexpected can occur. When Andy Murray defeated Marcos Baghdatis at 11:02 p.m. in 2012, the curfew was marginally extended by two minutes. At the time, Stephen Alambritis, the leader of Merton Council, the municipality where Wimbleon is located, stated, “flexibility and common sense prevailed.”

Wimbledon is the world’s oldest tennis tournament and is contested annually in London. The 2023 edition will be available until July 16. While Murray held the advantage on Thursday night, he ultimately fell to Tsitsipas in a decisive fifth set.