Here’s a little history lesson that will make you sound smart at a party. The final wasn’t always on Sunday at 4pm.
For years, the Men’s Final was on Saturday. And it started at 2pm. But there was a problem: the weather.
London rain is not a myth. It’s a menace. Saturday rain delays became legendary. Matches would drag into Sunday, causing chaos for travel.
So in 1982, they moved it to the first Sunday. And to make it feel special, they moved the start time to 2pm. That worked for a while.
Then the Americans got louder. The TV networks wanted a later start. So in the late 1990s, they crept it to 4pm. The rest, as they say, is grass-stained history.
The "Perfect" Evening Light
You ever notice how 4pm in London in July is gorgeous? The sun is high but starting to soften. The shadows are long.
It’s not the harsh midday sun that blinds players. And it’s not the dusk of 7pm that makes serves impossible to see. 4pm is the Goldilocks zone of tennis light.
The players love it. The ball is clear against the sky. The grass is still dry from the morning. It’s the visual sweet spot.
Las mejores imágenes de la final de Wimbledon entre Djokovic y Alcaraz
So yes, it’s a compromise. But it’s a compromise that results in the best possible tennis for three to five hours. Hard to argue with that, right?
