“Dumbest Rule,” Tennis Fans Blast Wimbledon Curfew Rule as Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard are Forced to Stop Play

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Taylor Fritz are locked at two sets all in the first round of Wimbledon.

“Dumbest Rule,” Tennis Fans Blast Wimbledon Curfew Rule as Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard are Forced to Stop Play

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Taylor Fritz (via The Tennis Letter)

Taylor Fritz was frustrated when his opening-round match at Wimbledon was paused just after he leveled the contest. After dropping the first two sets to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard under the closed roof on Court 1, Fritz rallied hard to turn things around. He took the third set and clawed his way back from 1-5 down in the fourth-set tiebreak, eventually winning it 8-6.

Despite the momentum being on Fritz’s side, the match was halted due to scheduling rules. The supervisor came onto the court as the 11 p.m. curfew approached, and officials decided not to begin the final set. Fans voiced their disappointment with loud boos as both players exited, with play set to resume the next day.

The All England Club enforces a strict 11 p.m. curfew in accordance with Merton Council regulations. Interestingly, the match was stopped well before the official cut-off time. A similar fate met Alexander Zverev’s clash with Arthur Rinderknech, which was stopped at 10:55 p.m. after they split the first two sets.

Fritz, a two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, was nearly another early casualty on day one. However, the recent Eastbourne winner showed grit and determination to tie the match at 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 before the interruption.

Tennis fans call out Wimbledon for the curfew rule

As soon as Taylor Fritz won the fourth set, the chair umpire announced the suspension of play. As the crowd responded with a choir of boos, the social media fans also expressed their disappointment.

Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz (Image via X/Wimbledon)

This is not the first time that the curfew of Wimbledon has come into play. This concept has been going on for a while, and it has been on full effect basically since the tennis matches went into night sessions at Wimbledon.

Some of the famous examples include the Wimbledon 2018 semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The Serb won the third set before the match got halted. Djokovic then had to return the following day and put away his great rival in five sets to make the final.

Wimbledon record highest temperature on the opening day

Wimbledon experienced its hottest-ever opening day on Monday, with the intense London heat making conditions tough for both players and spectators. According to the Met Office, temperatures climbed to 29.7°C (85.5°F) before noon, surpassing the 2001 record for the warmest Day 1 in the tournament’s long history.

Stefanos Tsitsipas Wimbledon
Stefanos Tsitsipas Wimbledon (via the Tennis Letter)

Forecasts predicted temperatures could reach 33 or 34°C (around 93°F) on Monday and Tuesday. These numbers come close to Wimbledon’s all-time record of 35.7°C (96.3°F), set on July 1, 2015. Players had to battle not just their opponents but also the extreme weather throughout the day.

The soaring temperatures even impacted the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini. During their contest, play was halted when a fan sitting in the sun required medical attention. Alcaraz noticed the disturbance and quickly brought water to assist before the medics arrived.

Wimbledon’s heat rule policy kicks in when the temperature exceeds 30.1°C (86.2°F). This rule allows players to take a 10-minute break to cool off, underscoring how demanding the conditions were on this historic day.