Behind the Grass at Wimbledon 2025
The USGA recently hosted a fantastic podcast with Neil Stubley, Head of Courts and Horticulture at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, just ahead of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Our team in North America was especially excited to hear that DLF products are present at this iconic venue, including all four perennial ryegrass varieties sown on Centre Court: Alathea, Clementine, Cameron and Melbourne.
As the global leader in turf seed, it’s no surprise to see DLF genetics supporting the world’s top athletes and sports teams. With a network of research stations and field trials spanning the globe, we’re at the forefront of turf innovation – offering tailored solutions for everything from elite stadiums to local sports fields.
Still, there’s something uniquely thrilling about seeing our products perform at the highest level of sport. And as self-proclaimed turf nerds, we especially love when top agronomists and turf managers pull back the curtain on how surfaces like Wimbledon’s Centre Court are prepared and maintained.
Neil Stubley certainly delivered. In this episode, he dives into the evolution of grass at the Club, the rigorous trialing process, and the detailed methods used to maintain pristine grass conditions throughout the two-week tournament.
We’ve pulled together some of our favorite highlights below, along with a link to the full interview for those who want to dig deeper.
🎧Featured Clips:
- Seed Varieties Selected for Centre Court at Wimbledon
- Evolution of Grass at Wimbledon
- Testing and Selecting Grass Seed Cultivars for Wimbledon
- Methods to Creating Championship-Level Grass Conditions for Wimbledon
- Preparing Grass for Wimbledon
- Maintaining Grass Performance During Wimbledon
- Why Grass Moisture Is Restricted During Wimbledon
- Optimal Grass Cutting Height for Centre Court During Wimbledon
- Testing Ball Bounce on Grass Courts During Wimbledon
- Managing Shade and Moisture for Wimbledon
Full podcast: Center Court Science: Maintaining Wimbledon's Legendary Grass Courts
