The All England Club has launched a video of what their second biggest tennis court will look like after work has been completed in 2019.
The No.1 court will become the second court at the tournament to have a retractable roof fitted after center court. The installation of the roof is expected to cost approximately £70 million. The development is part of Wimbledon’s ‘Master Plan’ to maintain their high standards. Other changes to the court include the addition of 900 extra seats and a improvement in facilities for visitors. Under the plans, court 19 will be turned into a two-level public plaza.
The ambitious plans has also sparked criticism from Wimbledon fans, who are unhappy with the rise in ticket prices this year. Wimbledon debenture holders (people who are authorized to sell tickets for the tournament) have noted that prices has almost tripled according to a report from The Times. From 2017 the Court 1 debenture price will dramatically increase from £13,700 to £31,000. Meanwhile, Centre Court debentures for June to 2020 will almost double to £27,500 to £50,000.
Addressing the issue raised by The Times, the All England Club has defended the prices and stated that the funding for the new roof has always come from private funding.
“We understand that not everybody will be happy with it but we think it still represents good value especially when you think debenture holders have the right to sell their tickets on,” one official told The Times.
“There is a balance, but it also helps keep the cost of the tickets for the general public down and is helping fund the roof. We have never had any public money for these upgrades, it has always been private money.”
This year’s championship will see their prize money increase to £28.1 million, a record for the tournament. The increase in prize money has also been criticized for inconsistency. Singles winners in the tournament will have a 6.4% increase from £12.9M to £2M. On the other hand, players losing in the first round will also receive a 3.4% increase (£29,000 to £30,000).
The Wimbledon championships will start on June 27th. Novak Djokovic will be bidding to defend the men’s title and Serena Williams for the women’s. This year will be the 130th edition of the prestigious event.
