British player asks Wimbledon to avoid clashes with England World Cup games

No summer is complete without Wimbledon’s manicured lawns, strawberries and cream and the clinking of Pimm’s glasses. But for one British favourite, the highlight of the tennis calendar poses a significant problem: watching England at the World Cup.

Millions across the country are grappling with various kick-off times – which could include a game against Mexico at 1am in the knockout stages – and how to watch summer’s showpiece while also balancing work commitments. British No 4 Francesca Jones is no different.

A proud Manchester United supporter who watches football regularly wherever the tennis calendar takes her, Jones intends to ask Wimbledon to schedule her matches in such a way to allow her to watch England’s push for glory with her father.

“If I said it’s at 2am, they’d tell me to get stuffed,” Jones said. “If we’re playing in the evening, then I’ll ask to play first or second.”

The All England Club has consistently refused to show World Cup matches anywhere on their grounds during the grand slam tournament, declaring their area of south-west London free from football. Even if those attending, or playing in the Championships, might have split loyalties.

Wimbledon, which starts on June 29, will clash with the knockout stages in North America and there are various possibilities awaiting Thomas Tuchel’s men as they aim for a second World Cup triumph.

England face Ghana on Tuesday and are well-placed to top Group L following a fine 4-2 victory against Croatia in their opener. It would mean a round-of-32 match at 5pm on July 1 against a third-placed team. That would clash with the second round at Wimbledon – uncharted territory for Jones, although she did reach the second round at the French Open this year.

Jones faced Coco Gauff in the first round at SW19 in 2021, on the same day England played Germany at Euro 2020, which was postponed for a year because of Covid.

“I was on court while England were playing, so I asked the score at 6-5 in the first set,” she said.

“Then someone celebrated a goal in the second set, and I asked him ‘I’m guessing you’re an England fan?’ He was like ‘we just scored’, I went ‘f—— great’.”

In 2018, when Gareth Southgate’s England set up a World Cup semi-final against Croatia on the same day as the men’s quarter-finals at SW19, fans were unable to watch the match, although it was on display in the players’ warm-up area.

Jones has previously asked for scheduling help at the Nottingham and Birmingham events, but her preferred way of watching is one favoured by those up and down the country.

“I do try to request it. The big thing for me is sitting with my dad and watching it,” she said.

“I don’t get many opportunities to sit and watch football with my dad. I love watching football. I do it normally by myself on a Sunday on the sofa, so it’s nice to be able to sit with my dad and watch an England match.”

At Roland Garros earlier this year, two French players – Moïse Kouame and Diane Parry – made their football allegiances known by wearing Paris St-Germain shirts as warm-up tops and even showing up to press in club kit.

In 2018, Gaël Monfils was two minutes late for his press conference after rushing off court to watch the first half of France’s World Cup match against Uruguay, and it is likely that a similar level of disruption can be expected from players from competing nations this year.

Although the time difference means that those playing earlier in the day will not be affected by the World Cup, those taking to the court in the evening could be forced to miss watching their nations’ progress.