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Fans trying to have a little bit of the bubbly at the wrong time drew the ire of a Wimbledon umpire.
The official was left no choice during a third-round match on Court 3 between Anastasia Potapova and Mirra Andreeva but to issue a warning to the patrons of the All England Club on Sunday.
Potapova was going through her service routine during the opening game and it appeared to be thrown off by a popping noise – leading Australian umpire John Blom to step in.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please, if you are opening a bottle of champagne, don’t do it as the players are about to serve,” Blom said.
The announcement brought some applause from the fans and a few chuckles from the broadcast team, as one announcer called it “the most Wimbledon warning I ever heard.”
Potapova stopped her serve and seemed to appreciate Blom trying to nip the bottle-popping in the bud, nodding her head in approval.
The No. 22 seeded Potapova would, however, lose the match, 2-6, 5-7 and Andreeva moved into the Round of 16 to face American Madison Keys, who is ranked No. 25.
The All England Club’s rules state that “all corked bottles, including bottles of champagne and sparkling wine, must be opened prior to being taken into the stands of any court.”
This is not the first time champagne bottle popping has been an issue at Wimbledon.
In 2019, a cork flew onto the court during a match between Benoit Paire and Jiri Vesely.
A let was called and the umpire at the time said: “Ladies and gentlemen … enjoy your champagne, but please don’t open it on the court please.”
So there is certainly a chance this won’t be the last time fans will need to be reminded about the champagne enjoyment.
