Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Topics: Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray
Jack Kenmare
Only one match has ever been allowed to break Wimbledon's notoriously strict curfew – and it featured former world number one Andy Murray.
It remains one of the strictest rules in sports. The Wimbledon curfew has been in place since 2009, when the All England Club installed a retractable roof on Centre Court.
In short, an 11pm curfew was introduced to "balance the consideration of the local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area", according to organisers.
They added that the challenge of transport connectivity and getting visitors home safely is also a "key consideration".
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Play must stop by 11pm local time, regardless of whether the roof is open or closed, and more often than not, matches can be suspended if they haven't finished by that time – even if they are close to completion.
But back in 2012, the curfew was pushed back for the first and only time as Andy Murray beat Marcos Baghdatis with the clock striking 11:02pm local time. At the time, Murray was just one game from victory at 11pm.
A two-minute extension is hardly a big deal, right? Wrong. The decision to play two minutes over the curfew was headline news, especially after the council came under fire from John McEnroe and Tim Henman during commentary.
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Murray, meanwhile, was in a hurry to finish his third round match. In fact, he was penalised twice after the ball fell out of his pocket.
"I was under the impression I was stopping at 11 (23:00 BST) regardless of what the score was - even if it was in the middle of a game," he said at the time. "I am obviously glad I managed to get the finish. The atmosphere at the end was excellent."
Shortly after Murray was put in the awkward situation of having to win one game to beat Baghdatis as the clock struck 11pm, it was confirmed that no action would be taken against the All England Club after the curfew was broken.
Merton Council’s leader Stephen Alambritis commented at the time, stating that "flexibility and common sense prevailed”.
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He added: “We were in touch with the All England Club from 10pm onwards and there were discussions between our planning officers and the tournament director. We have always said these prearrangements were to be used with discretion. We have a duty to both the residents as well as the tennis.”
Alambritis also responded to McEnroe's concern regarding the curfew time.
"I was on the phone a couple of times that night and it would have been nice to share those discussions with Mr McEnroe," he said. "He is obviously someone who is 100 per cent in love with tennis and would have been happy to go until 2am."