Wimbledon's field of dreams enjoys its fortnight in the sun

Why the sporting world is still in love with grass, strawberries and champagne

Fourteen days. 53,000 yellow tennis balls. 166,000 portions of strawberries and cream. Around 25,000 bottles of Lanson champagne. And the world's most immaculately maintained grass. It can only be Wimbledon.

Every year around this time, for two weeks the eyes of the sporting world are focused on the genteel suburb of south west London whose name has become synonymous with the tournament it hosts.

The official title of the venue, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, hints at the origins of the world's premier grass court tournament.

Initially the club was more concerned with the sport of croquet, but as tennis grew in popularity, a tournament was held to raise money for a new lawnmower to maintain the playing surface. In an instant, the history of tennis, and of Wimbledon, changed.

Wimbledon is a sporting event like no other. The venue where the tournament is played is a private members' club, with all the etiquette, rules and regulations that such a set-up entails, including the predominantly all-white clothing rule, giving Wimbledon a unique look.

Many players rent accommodation in nearby Wimbledon Village for the duration, and can often be seen out frequenting local restaurants after matches. All very polite, refined and understated.

Unsurprisingly, every conceivable space in Wimbledon adopts the trademark green and purple colors during the tournament, because as well as being one of the world's most famous sporting events, Wimbledon is also one of the ultimate brands to be associated with commercially.

Slazenger have supplied the balls for Wimbledon since 1902, the longest partnership in the history of sporting goods. Ralph Lauren is the tournament outfitter. Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Oppo recently became Wimbledon's first Chinese partner, and in the all-important hospitality sector, since 2001, the exclusive champagne supplier has been Lanson.

"Wimbledon is the number one event we're involved in around the whole world, without a doubt," said Lanson's senior PR and communications manager Penny McDonald.

"The whole fortnight is magical. From a commercial point of view there's a fantastic connection between what our brand offers and the whole Wimbledon atmosphere, it just works so well. From a personal point of view, there's no time of the year I enjoy as much as this.

"This is my fourth year here and to be involved with Wimbledon every year is perfect for me. I love tennis so much, I'd sleep on the courts if they'd let me!"

For an event which can appear so exclusive, when it comes to tickets, Wimbledon is actually remarkably democratic.

Many tickets are made available through a public ballot months in advance, and for most days of the tournament, a block of tickets for Courts One and Two is held back for sale on the day, which is why the sight of people camping overnight in nearby parks in the hope of getting lucky has become almost as much of a part of Wimbledon tradition as nervous checks of the weather forecast.

Ground passes are also available, for unreserved seating and standing areas on the outside courts, and with so many games going on at once, there is always the chance of getting up close and personal with one of the world's big names playing on one of the smaller courts.

Crowds flock to Wimbledon from all over the world, and for many tennis lovers, a visit to the All England Club is a lifetime's ambition.  One such fan is Cynthia Mew, from Rochester in Kent, who spent her 80^thbirthday at the opening day of Wimbledon 2019.

"I'm a huge tennis fan and like to watch as much as I can on television, so I thought why not do something special for a special day?," she told China Daily.

"I'd been here before but only on Henman Hill (the nickname for the big screen viewing area) but this time I actually got to sit on Court 15 and watch live matches. It was everything I'd hoped it would be.

"To see a match at Wimbledon was something I've dreamed of for years. So many people put in so much effort making the place look so good, and the staff are so welcoming and good natured. Being here has been a dream come true."

And while an 80-year-old spectator's dreams were coming true on Court 15, on Court One, so were those of a 15-year-old player, as Cori Gauff pulled off Wimbledon's biggest shock in years, beating five-time champion Venus Williams in the opening round of the women's singles.

After 151 years, tennis' own field of dreams still has the capacity to thrill, delight and inspire players and fans alike. And as long as the players play it, the fans will come. Such is the magic of Wimbledon.