Why do they stop play at wimbledon just because it rains?

Question

How can you have an outdoor sport that stops because of the rain - in England!! Footie and Rugby doesn't stop for the rain - imagine if it did?? They'd never get any game completed! I play tennis with my mates and if it rains we just play through it. Of course the bounce and flight of the ball is affected - but if you're a good player you can adapt to it. If i can im sure the likes of federer and nadal should be able to. Bottom line is there is no point having an outdoor tournament in england if it has to stop for the rain! either put a retractable roof over the whole of wimby (not just centre court) or play on rain or not!!

Answer 1

Tennis is an individual sport, where players are paid by results, not on contracts.

If a player slips on a wet surface, it could lead to severe injury. If a player is injured, he/she cannot play. He/she covers all the medical expenses. There is no payment while in rehab. Each player is an individual franchise, and no guaranteed money.

If Federer were to play on wet grass, slipped and twisted a muscle, he could be out for months. That would cost him his Wimbledon title, possibly his US Open title, and all the ranking points. He would not get paid a dime during this time, and his loss of ranking could result in a loss endorsement. This could be millions of dollars in lost revenue that is borne by him alone.

If Beckham slips and falls, he has a team trainer. The team has a back up player to fill in for him. The team pays for his rehab, and his salary while he rehabs. The team loses out a bit, but not completely. Becks doesn't lose much but some playing time.

Tennis is also not a fun sport when wet. Ever grab a soggy tennis ball from a dog's mouth? Exactly! Now, smash that ball with a raquet, and see how heavy it is, how messy it is, and how the game is ruined by poor weather conditions.

It's not about prima donna players. It's about preserving the integrity of the game and protecting players, who are all permanent free agents.

Answer 2

They can't do this. There's too much lateral movement that'd cause players to slip, possibly get injured, and throw off the Rhythm of the game, not to mention the bounce and flight of the ball you speak of. The rain also ruins the strings on rackets. Rain can only be tolerated to a degree and further rain would ruin a match.

Come to RootZoo for smart sports talk. Head on over and ask this question there, you'll get the best responses.

Answer 3

Tennis is not the only outside sport which stops due to rain. Cricket stops play when it rains. I believe they stop the games when it rains so that the players don't injury themselves sliding on the grass. Besides it would not be Wimbledon without rain stopping play!!!

Answer 4

To much rain will make the court soggy and affect the court so bad that it will start to cut up. Players will have to risk getting injured. Football pitches and tennis courts have different grass layering.

Answer 5

Not to mention soggy tennis balls, which you did, but tennis is not a "macho" sport. It's a gentleman's game like golf,so what would be the point in treating tennis as a game of rugby or soccer, with all of their hooligan fans and such.

Answer 6

footie and rugby have studs
half the people would get ligament injuries with wet grass
i doubt you play in the rain on grass

Answer 7

the balls get waterlogged, the surface gets slick - pretty bad conditions for tennis play.

on another note, i just hit level 5.

Answer 8

I think it has more to do with the fact that the players would all get the sniffles and have to stay in bed for a week

Answer 9

try to run on grass once with tennis shoes and you will understand

Answer 10

it is stopped because of possible injury while sliding on the grass