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Want to get the Wimbledon experience without dropping major flight money? You don't have to travel across the pond to get a taste of the famous British tennis tournament: Wimbledon is coming right to Wollman Rink later this month.
From Friday, June 26 through Monday, June 29, a four-day immersive activation dubbed “The Wimbledon Court in Central Park” will bring a playable, full-scale tennis court (made from the tournament’s iconic grass and maintained by Wimbledon’s expert grounds staff) right there on the rink. Headlining the sporty event is "The Wimbledon Court Invitational" on Friday at 2pm, an exhibition match that will see two pairs of tennis icons—Andre Agassi and Genie Bouchard taking on James Blake and Caroline Wozniacki—go head-to-head in a friendly doubles match. (You can apply for free tickets to the match here.)
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But they're not the only one allowed to get in on the serve-and-volley fun: On Saturday and Sunday, a number of lucky attendees will get the chance to flex their own tennis skills with free slots to play on the pop-up court. (You can enter the public ballot for those slots here.)
A variety of tennis-themed programming will be on offer throughout all four days, including free tennis clinics with coaches, quintessential Wimbledon fare (like strawberries and cream, Scotch eggs and sausage rolls washed down with Pimm's Cups and Champagne Lanson), and giant screens broadcasting the matches live from The Championships.
“We are delighted to bring Wimbledon to the US for a fifth successive year, giving New York’s devoted tennis fans a flavour of Wimbledon," said Usama Al-Qassab, Marketing and Commercial Director at The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which stages the Wimbledon Championship. “Whether they are watching the unique exhibition matches we have planned, enjoying the rare opportunity to play on a Wimbledon grass court, coming to New York for the first time ever, or tasting some of Wimbledon’s traditional food and drink, our four‑day event will bring the celebration of ‘tennis in an English garden’ to New York’s iconic Central Park.”