All England Club officials will hold high-level talks with the BBC on Wednesday to decide the timing of Andy Murray’s Wimbledon swansong amidst concerns that what could be his final match at SW19 may be overshadowed by the broadcaster’s general election and Euro 2024 coverage.
The two-time former Wimbledon champion pulled out of the singles following back surgery on Tuesday, but confirmed he would play in the doubles tournament with brother Jamie in his final appearance at the Championships before his expected retirement after the Paris Olympics.
Wimbledon has more flexibility in scheduling doubles than singles matches, with the first round beginning on Wednesday and due to be completed by Friday, but it is understood that preliminary discussions with the BBC have already revealed differences of opinion. Whereas the BBC would like the Murray brothers’ meeting with the Australian pair of Rinky Hijikata and John Peers to take place on Thursday to avoid a clash with its live coverage of the Euro 2024 quarter-final between Portugal and France on Friday evening, the All England Club’s instinct is to give Murray more time to recover from his recent back operation.
A final decision will be made this afternoon with confirmation of the schedule expected early in the evening. In another complication, rain is forecast for Friday, which would cause disruption to most of the doubles matches given they largely take place on outside courts.
Murray’s box-office appeal means the match will almost certainly be the first opening-round doubles tie to take place on Centre Court since 1995, which has added to complications for the schedulers, as with three singles matches to take place beforehand it will almost certainly run over into the evening. The BBC’s live coverage of Portugal versus France is to start at 7pm on Friday, with an 8pm kick-off in Hamburg, so it would prefer to screen the Murray tie on Thursday to avoid splitting its audience.
The BBC’s networks will clearly be dominated by the general election on Thursday, although viewing figures do not generally ramp up until after the polls have closed at 10pm, leaving a potential gap in the early evening. It will be the first time Murray has played doubles at Wimbledon with Jamie, who has often been his partner in the Olympics and most famously in Great Britain’s run to winning the Davis Cup in 2015.
All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said that the scheduling decision was one of many moving parts the tournament was managing.
“The doubles first-round matches we can schedule any day between Wednesday and Friday,” she said. “Scheduling is an art, not a science. There are always loads of moving parts. And Andy’s doubles with his brother – he’s just one of those moving parts.”
In an interview with Telegraph Sport last week, All England Club chair Debbie Jevans said that while as main rights partner the BBC gets an input into scheduling, the final decisions are made for tennis reasons.
“We’ll focus on the schedule that is right for Wimbledon, for tennis and the players,” Jevans said. “The BBC rightly gets an input and can give an opinion, but ultimately it’s a tennis decision. We always prioritise the athletes and their health.”
