It might sound implausible, but this was a day where Wimbledon, that most quintessential of British sporting institutions, felt even more British than usual. The queues were lengthy, the weather hitting record-breaking heights. And over a glorious day of action, the All England Club reverberated to the rare sound of unheralded British players shattering expectations – and ripping up the record books.
By the time Katie Boulter left Centre Court with the cheers still ringing in her ears after defeating the No 9 seed Paula Badosa, there had been a magnificent seven British victories on day one – the most in a single day in the open era.
On Centre Court David Beckham and Princess Beatrice, sporting and actual royalty respectively, watched on. While on No 1 Court a champagne cork briefly interrupted Emma Raducanu’s victory against the 17-year-old Mimi Xu from Swansea. It was that sort of day.
This was the hottest start to any Wimbledon in the tournament’s 148-year history. But as temperatures soared to 32C and the crowds frequently sought out shadows, there was the welcome sight of several British tennis players clambering out of them.
Before Monday few had heard of Oliver Tarvet and Arthur Fery, who are ranked 733 and 461 in the world respectively. Yet something in the Wimbledon air inspired the British pair to win their first tour-level matches.
Tarvet, a 21-year-old player from St Albans, is a college student at San Diego and so is not allowed to make more than £7,290 a year. So, after beating the Swiss qualifier Luciani Riedi in straight sets, he now has the challenge to find a creative way of managing his expenses having earned at least £99,000 for reaching the second round.
Afterwards he joked about hiring a private jet to fly him back to the US. “But I’m not here for the money,” he insisted. “I’m here just for the experience and to stamp my mark on the ATP circuit. And I think I’ve done a good job so far.”
Meanwhile, Fery, who was born in France but educated at nearby King’s College Wimbledon and then at Stanford, produced an even bigger shock in beating the No 20 seed Alexei Popyrin.
Watching on was Jackie Darby from Stratford-upon-Avon, who was paying her first visit to Wimbledon for nearly 50 years. “The last time I was here was during the heatwave in 1976,” she said. “We’ve come to support the Brits.”
There were plenty of opportunities to do that. Not since 1976 have there been 14 Britons in action on the opening day of Wimbledon. The surprise, though, was that so many of them were winning.
They included the British women’s No 3, Sonay Kartal, who played the game of her life to beat the No 20 seed Jelena Ostapenko, before making light of the temperatures. “It was hot, but I had ice towels, cold drinks and stuff,” she said. “I hope that maybe it can give the other guys a bit of extra motivation, if they need it.”
Cameron Norrie soon followed suit by beating the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut and when Billy Harris also won there were already five Britons in round two. “I was just thinking, it’s absolutely boiling here in Wimbledon but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Norrie said.
Those watching shared that sentiment. It is not unusual to see umbrellas at Wimbledon. But this time they were being used to block the sun. In truth, every gust felt like a reprieve, however minor.
Then it was Raducanu’s turn to deliver and she did just that, dispatching Mimi Xu in straight sets. “I saw a champagne cork fly on to the court so cheers to you!” she said. “It’s really nice to be back. I love the support and I love playing in this atmosphere. It’s my favourite tournament by far.”
The first day of Wimbledon always feels like an event. But by 8.50am there were so many people in the queue that at Earl’s Court station, half a dozen stops away on the District line, that people were being warned off coming. Not that it had much of an impact. By 10am, there were 10,000 fans at Wimbledon Park, hoping to get in.
At the M&S at Southfields, its closest store to Wimbledon, fans were busy looking for its limited-edition strawberry & crème sandwich, filled “with sweetened full-fat soft cheese and crème fraiche on brioche style bread”.
Such was its popularity that they were sold out not long after 9am. “We had over 300 of them at 8am this morning and that’s all that’s left,” an M&S employee told the Guardian, just as the last few were snapped up.
Watching on was Wimbledon’s chief executive, Sally Bolton, who said the number of British players in the draw was contributing to the general excitement surrounding the tournament this year. “We all recognise that whilst we’re a global tournament, that special combination of the magic of the championships and a deep run from a Brit creates some kind of magic for everybody,” she said.
True, it probably won’t last. Jack Draper and Raducanu have both been handed devilish draws, while Tarvet faces the reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz next.
Still, this was one of those days that Wimbledon does better than anyone else. Whether it came from a British victory, the timeless delights of an Alcaraz drop shot, or the joy of simply being in an oasis where Britain felt temporarily at peace with itself.
