A Class Apart

Why Wimbledon and Rolex make a great match

- Che Kurrien

“I remember when Sachin Tendulkar visited Wimbledon for the first time,” says 76-year-old Tim Phillips, who served as chairman of the tournament for over a decade. “He was so down to earth, and kept asking if he could do this and that… And I remember thinking, ‘Of course you can, you’re God!’”

I’ve just been introduced to Phillips, who was ambling along a walkway just outside Centre Court, his white mane billowing in the English summer breeze. Even among the upper-crust spectators who throng The Championships, Phillips stands out in his dark blue blazer and All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club member’s tie – the epitome of old-world British charm.

Wimbledon is the world’s oldest tennis championship, steeped in a rich heritage that stretches back to 1877, when 22 tennis players competed in front of 200 spectators at the All England Club’s courts for the first-ever Gentlemen’s Singles Championship. Today, The Championships, Wimbledon is the world’s most iconic Grand Slam. Nearly 500,000 enthusiasts gather at Church Road in the tony village of Wimbledon for a fortnight every summer to watch the finest players from around the world compete for the ultimate prize.

Phillips, who has a permanent seat at the Royal Box, directs me towards the practice courts, a private space where the players warm up outside the public glare. Only a privileged few can enter this sanctum, and I sneak a peek at the Williams sisters pulverising the iconic Slazenger balls – accompanied by their distinctive grunts and groans. More than anything, I’m awestruck by the fact that Venus is still competing at the highest level, a quarter of a century after she first turned pro.