LONDON – It’s Wimbledon, but not quite Wimbledon. A pristine grass-court tennis complex in West London, just five kilometres from the iconic Centre Court.
The Community Sport Centre in Roehampton hosts the headquarters of the LTA (British Lawn Tennis Association) and the ITF (International Tennis Federation), and it’s the traditional site for the qualifying rounds ahead of the third Grand Slam of the year.
It’s a more relaxed Wimbledon — more accessible, less formal — , one “you can touch”. And still features strawberries and cream and top-quality tennis. One unbeatable advantage: there’s far more grass than at the All England Club. No concrete walkways between courts, no paved areas for fans.
As players battle it out from Monday to Thursday the week before the main draw begins, fans enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience.
“Access to the players here is fantastic. They’re right next to you. You can’t get that anywhere else!” says Emma, a fan enjoying the tennis from a picnic table in front of the big screen showing the action from the main court, surrounded by food trucks offering cuisine from all over the world.
Emma couldn’t get Wimbledon tickets and has no interest in joining The Queue—the endless line fans stand in to enter the club each day. Instead, she easily got into the qualifying rounds by paying 15 pounds (around USD$20): “What more could you ask for for £15? It’s not crowded, there’s space, you can walk around freely, it’s relaxed, and there are no lines for food. It’s a really great experience.”
There are fabulous scenes everywhere: by Court 5, a man watches the match between Chilean Nicolás Jarry and Slovak Jozef Kovalik from a camping chair, barefoot and sipping coffee; on the court behind, an amateur photographer without accreditation crouches just behind the ballkids to capture privileged angles of Croatia’s Petra Martic; a couple arrives on bicycles and parks just behind the practice courts.
Jarry’s children run and play with their small rackets in the wide warm-up area just steps from the match courts. It’s where players prepare alongside their teams—and where fans get to watch up close.
“It’s really nice to have so much space to warm up, to walk around barefoot, play some football, hit balls around. There’s so much room—it feels a bit like Indian Wells, which gives you a sense of freedom. You don’t have to warm up indoors or in a gym, which can get pretty tiring,” the former world No. 16 told CLAY.
But not everyone shares the same enthusiasm.
With the complaints one would expect from a Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino told CLAY things here just aren’t the same as at the site of the world’s oldest tennis tournament.
“Everything’s fairly convenient, but it’s not going to be as good as Wimbledon. The locker rooms aren’t as good. The food’s not as good. The courts aren’t as good. So I’d say conditions are decent, but of course you want to qualify and get to play the real tournament. And when you’ve already experienced the main draw and come back here, it’s definitely frustrating,” said the former world No. 17, now ranked 125 and looking to rebuild his level.
“I wish I didn’t have to play the qualies,” admitted the Frenchman, who went on to win three matches and book his place in the main draw.
A very British summer tradition: picnics in the park. At the AELTC, only a few manage to find a spot on Henman Hill—and it’s far from the action. In Roehampton, they happen right on the edge of elite-level tennis, when the weather cooperates.
“It looks nice, but when you’re on court and the crowd is right there, eating, making noise… it’s not easy to play in those conditions. In my first-round match, I played on one of the side courts and it was really noisy. People were walking by, eating, drinking, opening cans in the middle of points. It’s a bit annoying—we’re not used to that. But it’s part of the game, you have to adapt,” said Mannarino.
Cristian Garin, Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2022, appreciates the experience Roehampton offers to fans, even if for him, nothing compares to what begins on Monday, June 30, at Church Road.
“The atmosphere in Roehampton is great, you can tell people are really enjoying it. The organisation gives you everything you need, but I don’t feel like I’m playing Wimbledon. All I want is to win here and play at the All England. Of course, there’s some mystique to playing qualies here—it’s a tournament with a lot of history—but what really excites you is getting to play over there,” Garin told CLAY.
For local player Paul Jubb, who knows what it’s like to play in the Wimbledon main draw, the atmosphere in Roehampton is phenomenal.
“Obviously, it’s not the official Wimbledon site, but the job they do here is unbelievable. And also, yeah, I think the fans who come here are true tennis fans. They love the game. The atmosphere they create is great.”
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam that holds its qualifying tournament at a different venue. It makes sense—grass is the only surface that wears down and can’t be easily restored. And while players may have mixed feelings about not being on the main grounds, fans are nothing but delighted.
There are mini tennis courts and play areas for children. Spacious shaded zones to relax. A shop with official Wimbledon merchandise—and of course, a bar. A tennis tournament that offers a unique experience with the flavour of Wimbledon, plus a few things the All England Club doesn’t have.
