Throughout history, the Wimbledon main courts have held great prestige and were not accessible to players before the tournament began.
However, the All England Club has received overwhelming feedback from tennis players after numerous complaints last year regarding the slippery nature of the surface during the opening days of the tournament and has exercised a rule of change.
Players will, therefore, be allowed to practice on Centre Court and Court 1, which are considered the two biggest courts at the tournament and have roofs. This new development is meant to prevent injuries during matches.
Last year, multiple players complained about the surface's danger, especially in the first three days when the grass is pristine, clean, and moist. Players have to tread with caution when sliding or retrieving balls.
By allowing players to practice beforehand, the courts are expected to be worn out, especially on the baseline, where many players tend to lose their footing, and some end up succumbing to injuries.
The organizers and groundspeople are keen to avoid last year's episode, in which inclement weather made conditions even more tricky for the players in the matches.
Serena Williams was one of the victims. The legendary American slipped early in her match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and injured her leg. She was forced to retire from the match and has not played for a year.
Nick Kyrgios was another player who injured himself on Centre Court. The Australian former quarterfinalist slipped but had to retire due to a very different injury to his abdomen.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray also made his voice heard, saying that it wasn't easy to move around the court, and defending champion Novak Djokovic said he had never slipped that many times on a court.
A Wimbledon representative has claimed that this is the first time players will be allowed limited practice on the two big courts.
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