Wimbledon Central Stadium to Get a Roof

Wimbledon Championship organizers announced that in two years, they will begin constructing a movable roof over the Central Stadium of the All England Club, the venue for the Wimbledon Championships. Rain and delays in matches have affected the championship games, which is part of the common traditions and narratives surrounding these competitions. Tim Phillips, the president of the Wimbledon Club, stated that their aim is to preserve the history and common traditions of the Central Stadium while preventing delays in matches due to rain by adding the new roof. This hydraulic glass roof will measure 70x65 meters and will take approximately 10 minutes to close. Concurrently with the construction and installation of this roof, 1,200 additional seats will be added to the stadium's capacity. Officials added that no decision has yet been made regarding a similar roof for Court No. 1. The designer of this roof is the same company that has constructed roofs for the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the new Wembley Stadium, and several stadiums in the United States. Currently, the Australian Open is the only major venue for professional tennis that uses a movable and retractable roof. The start date for the construction of the roof over Wimbledon’s Central Stadium has been set for about two years from now, but it is not expected to be completed before 2009.