Aryna Sabalenka pleads with Wimbledon to end 149-year-old policy

Aryna Sabalenka is finding one of Wimbledon’s many strict rules really woof to deal with.

Wimbledon is now in full swing and a host of famous faces have descended on SW19 for the iconic tennis tournament.

Hugh Grant sparked debate when it looked like he had fallen asleep, while fellow actor Matthew McConaughey earned praise for his gesture towards Prince William and Kate Middleton in the stands.

While the tennis remains as captivating as ever, there have been several controversies surrounding Wimbledon already.

The ridiculous prices for a beer or cup of Pimm’s left fans shocked enough, while Serena Williams ducked media responsibilities after her first-round exit.

Yet, most of the complaints have stemmed from Wimbledon’s strict, and increasingly archaic, rules.

Williams’ daughter was unable to watch her comeback as she isn’t old enough, while the strict all-white dress code rules have once again been top of the conversation.

Naomi Osaka wore a striking ‘reinterpreted kimono’, inspired by the movie Kill Bill, during the entrance for her first match.

The rules have been relaxed slightly so players can pay tribute to Diogo Jota following his death last year, but otherwise the tournament organisers remain as stringent as ever.

Much to the chagrin of Aryna Sabalenka, who just wants her puppy by her side.

Aryna Sabalenka ‘doesn’t agree’ with Wimbledon’s no dog rule

World No.1 Sabalenka first took her pet dog, Ash, to Indian Wells in March and has travelled with it throughout the European clay-court tour.

However, she is not allowed to take the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with her to Wimbledon due to the All England Club’s policy.

Their site rules state: “Dogs must not be brought onto AELTC sites by anyone, except for service dogs (i. e. guide dogs, hearing dogs, mobility dogs, seizure alert/response dogs, autism dogs).

“Within the Main Grounds designed spending area for service doges is the Orchard at the top of Aorangi Terrace.”

But it’s something Sabalenka disagrees with.

“I don’t agree with that,” Sabalenka said, via TNT Sports.

“I can understand why they made this decision.

“Obviously, if the dog does something wrong inside of this historical place, it’s probably going to take a bit of time to replace. They’re probably afraid of damage inside.

“I have to say all of our dogs are very well-trained. They’re not going to do anything wrong inside this beautiful building.

“We have to change that. It just sometimes hurts to leave him at the house by himself. He really gets attached a lot. But he suffers staying alone. It really hurts my feelings.

“It’s just like a little fluffy thing that always wants cuddles and love.

“Going to the park with him, walking around, is also like some sort of meditation for me.”

Before Wimbledon got underway, chief executive Sally Bolton said: “The only dogs that we permit on site are service dogs and those security and search dogs. We’re in constant communication with the players and we don’t anticipate that being a problem, but that’s our policy and it always has been.”

However, fellow star Coco Gauff doesn’t concur.

“I love dogs,” the game’s seventh-best player said. “I definitely think there’s a place and time for them. I do love them.

“This [Wimbledon] is also different because this is held at a club, which I don’t think they allow dogs anyways in general. So I respect the rules.

“But I definitely think there are certain places dogs shouldn’t be for safety reasons, like the gym and the locker room, where sometimes I see dogs. Like I say, I love dogs, but I definitely think there’s a time and place.

“I wouldn’t mind them around the site, but I just definitely think, because there’s been times where I almost stepped on somebody’s dog, almost threw a medicine ball at someone’s dog.

“You don’t want to hurt an animal. I definitely think in the gym where there’s already 50 million players doing a million different things.”

Wimbledon’s strangest rules

Wimbledon has strict rules and regulations for pretty much everything – from the length of the grass to the temperature of the tennis balls, and you can be fined thousands of pounds for certain conduct violations.

Curfew

While at other grand slams, play continues late into the night, at Wimbledon there’s a strict 11pm curfew.

This means tennis fans sometimes have to go to bed on a cliffhanger.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s 2018 semi-final clash was suspended after the third set. Meanwhile, Andy Murray was particularly peeved when he was in the lead against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2023, but went on to lose when the game was paused overnight and restarted the following morning.

Timed toilet breaks

Players are limited to one toilet break for matches up to three sets, and two if it goes on for longer.

They can only go during a set change and they have to be back within three minutes, or they risk giving a point to their opponent.

The longest ever Wimbledon match lasted a whopping 11 hours over three days, so players better get their nervous wees in before the match.

Temper tantrums

Players can be fined up to £36,900 for smashing their rackets. Djokovic is believed to have smashed over 60 of them over the course of his career.

Bad language can also result in the same maximum fine.

Countdown to serve

As soon as the ball goes out of play, the serving player has just 25 seconds to hit their serve, or the umpire can call a violation which could potentially grant a point to their opponent.

Fines for not trying hard enough

Players must demonstrate they’re giving their all to win the match. Australian player Bernard Tomic was fined an eye-watering £45,000 after he was accused of not putting in enough effort to beat French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, losing after just 58 minutes.

Age limits

Players have to be at least 14 to compete, which means youth sensations like Coco Gauff were initially barred from taking part.

Spectators, meanwhile, have to be accompanied by a guardian if they’re under 16. Under-fives aren’t permitted at all onto show courts.

This meant Serena Williams’ two-year-old daughter Adira River couldn’t watch her mum’s comeback at this year’s grand slam, while not all of Andy Murray’s four children could watch his final doubles appearance in 2024.

The grass and the balls

Everything at Wimbledon is just so. The grass is cut to 8mm, which is apparently best suited for modern tennis play and for the grass to survive.

Meanwhile, the tennis balls are kept in a fridge in order to maintain a constant temperature of 20°C. A consistent temperature is important because it apparently affects the way the balls bounce. The more you know.

Tennis whites

It was originally just female players who were required to wear all-white on the court. According to Tennis Fashions: Over 125 Years of Costume Change, the rule was introduced because it was ‘quite unthinkable that a lady should be seen to perspire’. OK then…

Eventually, the rule was imposed on men too.

A single trim of colour is allowed around the neckline and sleeve cuffs, but this must be no thicker than 1cm.

In 2022, an exception was made so women could wear dark undershorts to feel more comfortable if they were on their periods.