May I introduce myself?
What is the correct pronunciation of Elena Rybakina’s surname?
Is it Ree-BACK-in-a or Ree-ba-KEEN-a? It's confusing, especially when a chair umpire and a television match commentator can refer to a player with a different intonation.
The 2022 Wimbledon ladies’ singles champion is not the first and won’t be the last player whose name fans want to know how to say correctly.
To this end, it is useful to know that both the WTA (women) and ATP (men) websites have a small speaker icon next to each player’s name on their profile page, signifying an audio file. Click it, and you hear the player clearly introduce themselves.
For the record, the Kazakh enunciates her name as Ree-BUY-kin-a.
Framboises et crème
Whisper it, but back in the day, the All England Clubhouse menus were written in French and the berry of choice served as pudding to Royal Box guests was the raspberry.
Strawberries were sold to the public, because they were in season, they were farmed locally and they were abundantly available, but raspberries were considered a more exclusive fruit.
Matches made in heaven
The appearance of British No.1 Katie Boulter and her boyfriend world No.17 Alex de Minaur as a mixed doubles pairing charmed the Wimbledon crowds until their second round exit, as did the prospect of seeing Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded No.5 in the men’s singles, competing alongside his girlfriend, former world No.2 Paula Badosa (until the Spaniard’s injury forced them to withdraw).
The grass courts of Wimbledon have showcased many a tennis romance - from Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors, whose twin success in winning the 1974 singles titles was dubbed the "Love Double", to Evert and John Lloyd, plus Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi - and the spirit of these romances goes right back to the origins of the game.
In mid 19th-century England, strict codes of etiquette made it difficult for young men and women to mix.
Affluent members of Victorian society were on the lookout for new leisure pastimes in which eligible young men and well-to-do young ladies could mix socially with propriety. The new sport of lawn tennis, a garden-party pastime with an ever-expanding emphasis on the provision of a languorous afternoon tea, fitted the bill.
Hollywood calling
By Day 10 of The Championships 2023, a veritable red-carpet procession of stars from the stage and silver screen had visited Wimbledon, sprinkling their stardust on proceedings.
American filmmaker Judd Apatow and his actress wife Leslie Mann rocked up on Day 1, and were followed by SW19 regulars Orlando Bloom, Tom Hiddleston and Sienna Miller.
Other celebrities spotted in the Centre Court stands included Jessica Alba, The Crown’s Emma Corrin and Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor and Golda Rosheuvel.
Did you know that the connection between Tinseltown and tennis stretches back to Fred Perry? The three times Wimbledon champion was raised in Stockport, Cheshire in the north of England, but after turning professional in 1936, he travelled around the United States in a head-to-head touring contest against Ellsworth Vines.
"Perry was a handsome man with a superb physique, and in America he had Hollywood starlets falling at his feet," writes Richard Jones in his fascinating book, The People’s Wimbledon. "He married one - Helen Vinson - and in 1937 he and Vines invested some of their profits from their tour by buying the Beverly Hills Tennis Club. The link between tennis and Hollywood was thus firmly cemented.’’
The Championships 2024 will take place from July 1 – 14 2024 and the Wimbledon Public Ballot will open in mid-September. Make sure you’re one of the first to hear about tickets for next year’s Championships by signing up to myWimbledon.
