Some of the most intense days of every calendar year in tennis involve qualifying at the four Grand Slams. Qualification is an all-or-nothing ordeal, with those who win three matches advancing to the biggest stage in tennis — whereas everyone else (aside from lucky losers) goes home without anything to show for his or her efforts. Considering that the majority of those involved in qualifying is ranked outside the top 100, successful qualification also represents a huge, potentially career-changing payday.
Wimbledon qualifying, which takes place on the grass courts of Roehampton, is particularly electric. Roehampton, just a few miles away from the All-England Club in southwest London, is quite simply a tennis extravaganza. The setting is one giant field, with about 20 match courts, a couple of practice courts, and then copious amounts of green space for players and fans alike to walk around, hang out, and enjoy the setting.
Even though it now costs money to attend (admission was free until a few years ago), it’s well worth 20 pounds. The quantity of tennis being played is off the charts and the quality isn’t too far behind. On the men’s side, the qualifying field includes Bernard Tomic, Dan Evans, Francisco Comesana, Nikoloz Basilashvili, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Laslo Djere, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and Dusan Lajovic. Bianca Andreescu, Heather Watson, Varvara Lepchenko, and former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun are in the women’s draw.
Evans’ presence in the qualifying draw somewhat controversial. The 36-year-old Brit recently announced that he will retire at Wimbledon, so there was speculation that he would receive a wild card for his final appearance. Instead, main-draw wild cards went to six other Brits along with Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov.
Andreescu won the U.S. Open in 2019. However, the former world No. 4 has never managed to stay healthy for any extended stretch and currently finds herself at 178th in the rankings.
Main-draw action at Wimbledon does not begin until June 29. For now, Roehampton has center stage (along with some ATP and WTA events). It’s worth tuning into–especially if you are in London!