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It's Tradition After all!

It’s as quintessentially English as Fish’n’Chips, Coronation Street and moaning about the weather. It used to be yet another exercise in that most classical English sporting trait of getting wildly optimistic about our nation’s athletes and then cursing their gallant but predictable demise once it got serious. But not anymore!

Since the newly-knighted Sir Andy Murray (and just how many active athletes have that little prefix before their name?) finally toppled the Wimbledon mountain and ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a Men’s Champion in that glorious fortnight in 2013, our expectations have shifted dramatically. Granted, he is pretty much our lone contender but a genuine contender he now is, in every single tournament he enters. Indeed, this will be the first Wimbledon he enters having scaled the peak of becoming World No.1 and let’s not forget he is also the defending Mens’ Champion having won his second title last year.

 

Why so iconic?

So why is Wimbledon such an iconic tournament? Well, for starters, it genuinely is unique in that it’s the only one of the four Grand Slams to be played on grass. (The Australian Open shifted to hard courts in 1998) This makes it simply feel and look different, as the lush but trim green grass is complemented by the All England Club’s famed purple crawling ivy to create a striking and instantly recognisable appearance. Not to mention all players having to follow the (relatively) strict dress code of all-white, unlike at other tournaments where some tend to resemble skateboarding teenagers rather than the professional millionaire athletes that they actually are!

Secondly, the tournament retains that unmistakable air of upper-class Britishness, from the wildly-overpriced Pimms and Strawberries & Cream, to the crisp attire of all of the senior members of the Club, who do sometimes appear to be relics of times gone by. Polite PA announcements occasionally punctuate the generally muted and respectful hush of the crowd and it all feels remarkably...well, British. Contrast this with the frankly wild US Open held in New York, where athletes are subjected to all the crude shouts and bile of The Big Apple’s finest and you can see why nearly every player cites Wimbledon as their favourite of all the Grand Slams.

It must feel as if they are visiting a delightful and calm museum for a fortnight.

Thirdly, attending Wimbledon at least once in your life has become something of a ‘Bucket List’ event. It is not at all easy to get tickets, as millions who apply faithfully every year via the typically-fair (and British) ballot system will attest - Most come away disappointed and have to either give up or face the daunting prospect of queuing overnight and camping, which is becoming almost as quintessentially-British as the tournament itself!

So overall it must be that the tournament is just so plainly individual and unlike any other that gives it its iconic status. It does no harm either that it is far and away the oldest-known tournament in the world, having been founded all the way back in 1877. That kind of history always lends a lot of weight. Even its post code (SW19) has now become synonymous with the tournament, almost a nickname even.

Once the tournament is underway, they are further special moments that brighten up the British mid-summer nights. The famous Henman Hill (or Murray Mount, to give it its updated moniker) is a vibrant sea of people, colour and patriotic flags during one of the home players’ matches. It is genuinely a sight to behold as people truly catch the communal vibe and all is well with the world. As long as our player wins, that is…

 

Get your flags at the ready!

So if you’re a tennis fan planning on visiting the Wimbledon tournament this summer to catch some of the action, why not take a 5ft x 3ft Union Jack to support Murray, Edmund, Konta and the rest? Or if you’re not lucky enough to have tickets then you could always do your bit via a Union Jack car flag to show support for the brave British battlers? Decorating your garden (or better yet, pub!) with some traditional Union Jack bunting always does the trick - What sight could be more evocative of the British summer?

Maybe Spanish titan Rafa Nadal needs to see your support via a Spanish hand-waving flag? Or would you prefer to spur on the legendary Roger Federer via his home nation’s colours? Either way the tournament is always a melting-pot of of supporters from all across the globe, truly an international get-together. Even the infamous Aussie fans are good for raising a smile or two...

Qualifying for Wimbledon begins on Monday 26th June until Thursday 29th June, with the full tournament starting directly after on Monday 3rd July. Saturday 15th July will see the Ladies’ Champion receive the coveted Rosewater dish, with the Mens’ victor claiming the famed jug-eared gold trophy the day after on Sunday 16th July.

So make sure you tune in and remind yourself of just why we love Wimbledon so much! Just make sure you don’t shout it too loudly though...We are British, after all. Check out the whole range of Wimbledon flags to support your Country this Summer!