If strawberries and cream are the iconic food of Wimbledon, then champagne is the grass-court Grand Slam's signature drink. But move over, Taylor Swift, because Great Britain's Harriet Dart and China's Bai Zhuoxuan had their own champagne problem on Tuesday at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
With Bai about to serve at deuce in the sixth game of the opening set against Dart on Court 18, Irish chair umpire Fergus Murphy spotted that a bottle cork had errantly landed from the stands onto Bai's side of the court, and instructed a ball girl to remove it.
Once the playing area was clear, Murphy delivered a gentle reminder to spectators: Don't pop your bottles during play.
Wimbledon 2024: Scores | Draws | Order of play
"Ladies and gentlemen, maybe we should do that on the changeovers," he quipped, drawing laughter from the crowd.
"Open the bottles on the changeovers, thanks"
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2024
A polite request from the umpire that spectators don't open their champagne during play 🍾😂#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/rLrwDOWMLW
But there were no further troubles (bubbly or otherwise) for the 27-year-old Brit on her way to the second round.
She won the last eight games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory, and has now won at least one match at her home Grand Slam in each of the last four years.
"I thought it was a leaf or something," Dart confessed post-match. "I had no clue what it was. I think I was just in my own little world, in my own bubble."
More from Wimbledon:
- Grass-court Power Rankings: Who thrives on the turf?
- Is grass-court tennis the trickest surface on the tour?
- Get to know the players who are making their Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon
- Familiar faces: Barty, Sharapova return to Wimbledon with their sons
