Wimbledon is one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, bringing greats including reigning champion Novak Djokovic and returning home hero Andy Murray to London.
From championship hopefuls to little-known qualifiers, all of the players in the draw will be keeping their fingers crossed that bad weather does not hamper their progress across the fortnight-long festival of tennis.
Weather breaks are always an unwelcome interruption for fans, who dread the sight of tournament officials spotting rain and ordering the court covers to be drawn.
Occasionally, the tournament has introduced play on the middle Sunday of the tournament – which is a rest day under normal circumstances.
Known as People’s Sunday, the spare day is used In the event of bad weather holding up the tournament.
Play first took place on a Sunday in 1991 and has happened on five occasions since.
Briton Tim Henman won his Wimbledon match against Paul Haarhuis on Sunday in 1997, and favourite Novak Djokovic was surprisingly beaten by Sam Querrey in 2017, when tickets sold out in less than half an hour.
Will the Wimbledon weather be kind for stars and spectators this year? Express Sport takes a look.
Wimbledon weather updates – will play go ahead?
After a scorching weekend, the good news is that Wimbledon is likely to get off to an uninterrupted opening few days.
The forecast for Monday and Tuesday is a mix of cloudy and sunny, with the smallest possible chance of rain.
That possibility rises slightly, to a maximum of 10 percent, on Tuesday afternoon.
The broad early picture of the first week is a positive one, although the humid conditions are likely to prove a test for players’ energy levels.
The opening Friday of the tournament, July 5, is more concerning. According to The Weather Outlook, the first day of the third round of the tournament could see skies darken and more than 0.5mm of rain fall.
At this stage, predictions for the weather during the early part of the second week of the tournament are favourable.
The Met Office, which provides precise information around the conditions at the All England Club, admits its confidence in forecast accuracy for the first half of July is “very low”.
The authority also warns of “unsettled” weather over southern parts of the UK, including rain or showers.
Most players on the tour are familiar with delays and drawn-out matches. Even when the weather is perfect, falling light can bring matches to a premature halt.
Andy Murray’s recent doubles match at Queen’s was suspended at the end of Friday due to bad light, meaning he had to resume his charge to the title the following day.
Although the former champion is not yet ready to compete in the singles following major hip surgery, he has confirmed that he is ready to play in the doubles.
Murray described his triumphant return at Queen’s, winning alongside Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, as “mental”.
