With just under two weeks until The Championships get underway for 2026, we joined Neil Stubley, Head of Grounds and Horticulture, on Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club to find out how preparations are going for the world’s number one grass tennis tournament.  

This will be Neil’s 31st Championships at Wimbledon, working his way up from a groundsperson role beginning in 1995, but every year he is faced with a new set of challenges. He comments on the knot of anticipation he still feels in his stomach every year that stays until the umpire announces the conclusion of the event. Until then, Neil says ‘you’re just waiting for something to go wrong.’ But this apprehension is something Neil considers fondly, naming the knot of uncertainty as a ‘friend’. ‘It means you’re not complacent’, Neil explains, always being prepared for whatever The Championships could throw at him.  

Although the courts are prepared in a similar way each year, each new season brings its own challenges. Neil speaks openly about pesticide restrictions impacting their processes and having to find alternative methods to control weeds and disease. In 2017 the AELTC introduced a steam sterilisation programme that sees the courts covered with polytunnels, holes drilled into the soil and steam reaching 200 degrees Celsius. The process works as a natural weed control, killing any spores or pests living within the soil. Water restrictions, Neil says are also impacting the site. However, since 2001 the courts have been exclusively Perennial Ryegrass, which is known to withstand more wear and thrive in dry soil. The firm nature of the court needed for ball bounce, means that courts require less water than other playing surfaces- so although water restrictions are increasing Neil believes the impact they are feeling at the AELTC may be lesser than other turfcare sectors.  

With 30 Championships under his belt, it would be easy for Neil to forget he is working in one of the most iconic venues in sport. He reflects that some days he can walk onto Centre Court without a second thought. But he is quick to remind himself of the history that the court holds, and appreciate that for many, standing on this court is a bucket list moment that some will only ever dream of. For him, that reminder is grounding.  

Something that he is constantly in awe of though, is his team. Throughout the year there are a permanent team of 18 grounds staff, which grows to 31 with seasonal staff across The Championships. Combined, he thinks his staff have completed around 300 Championships. The role continues to change and there are new tests year on year, however Neil is confident that the experience his team brings allows them to face those challenges head on. ‘If something has happened in the past, one of us will have lived through it’.  

Neil encourages his team to be inspired by the quote the players see inscribed above the entrance to Centre Court: ‘If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same’ from Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’. The script is a reminder for players to enter the Court with emotional resilience, something that Neil hopes his team carry as well. ‘Win or lose, be gracious’, Neil says is the most important thing for himself and his team. Sports turf faces an unrivalled level of scrutiny, and tennis is not exempt from that. The Championships are broadcast from every angle and watched by millions of people every year, the players expect only the highest level of surfaces. But Neil tells his team what he tells himself, if you know the surface is the best you can make it, the comments do not matter, ‘don’t get too high, but don’t get too low either. Stay measured and keep doing the right thing.  

The data collected throughout the year helps the team maintain that state of mind. The AELTC work with STRI throughout the year-round preparations and The Championship to measure court performance. Measurements include live grass cover, surface hardness, chlorophyll index, soil moisture, cracking and ball rebound. The data helps groundstaff manage the courts, but it also brings a peace of mind when facing more subjective reviews from players and the media. ‘We’ve got the data to prove how the courts are performing’ Neil explains.   

It’s clear that no Championships can be the same, in fact you may be hard stretched to find any day the same at the AELTC. Producing a living surface is a constant challenge, with the balance between aesthetics and playability being at tipping point. The grounds staff are faced with new challenges every year, impacted by pesticide regulation, water shortages and climate change. Court preparation, data collection and independent assessments are a yearlong process. The weather is forecast and measured from every angle, but maintains as always, unpredictable. In many ways, the only predicable statistic year on year is that the grounds team will be working with all these variables to produce the best surface circumstances allow. 

With mounting pressure and the tennis world’s eyes on Wimbledon, it’s clear that Neil Stubley and is grounds team are once again rising to the occasion. 

Written by: Abi Moss-Coomes