It's game, set and match to the friendly folk at the All England Lawn Tennis Club for the tennis-tastic
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and tour!
Once a year, in the middle of summer, Wimbledon buzzes with the excitement of thousands of tennis fans from around the world, coming to watch their favourite players in action.
You can have your Flushing Meadows and Roland Garros, even your Melbourne Park – Wimbledon is
the tournament
all the top players want to win more than any other.
First the museum – opening in its current form in 2006, it's packed with state-of-the-art interactives and attractions.
Highlights include a cinema with a movie that was filmed on Centre Court using a purpose-built panoramic rig comprising five cameras. This enables the action to be frozen at any point, allowing the viewer to rotate around the image – like a sporting version of The Matrix, if you will.
The match in the movie is between Maria Sharapova and Nuria Llagostera Vives, filmed in 2005. The film takes a scientific look at the effects of a typical match on the body and equipment of professional tennis players.
You might also spot McEnroe's 'ghost' at the museum – which seems a little odd as at the time of writing he is well and truly still with us.
Using more hi-tech movie equipment, the museum has created a scene from the dressing room of the 1980s – McEnroe will appear before your eyes and talk about some of the tennis greats he's faced across the net.
The museum takes you on a journey through the game's development; gives you a chance to see up close the championship trophies; and presents memorabilia dating back to 1555.
You'll even be able to see the actual tennis gear Roger Federer wore when he recently took his record breaking 15th Grand Slam title in a Wimbledon final.
If you have the cash to spare, it's definitely worth taking the tour of the grounds as well. See places off-limits to most during the tournament, such as the press interview room and the Millennium Building where players spend time between matches.
The most recent addition is CentreCourt360, which is essentially an interactive area that includes a viewing platform on Centre Court, the sport's most famous stage.
If you want to take the tour,
it's advisable to book ahead.
Wimbledon comes alive during the tournament, but for the rest of the year it's relatively peaceful, providing the perfect atmosphere to explore the place in depth and to learn more about the game, its history and the greatest tennis tournament in the world.
