The Secret To Halle’s Grass

All eyes are on the Parisian terre battue, as the ATP World Tour’s stars slide and glide across the red clay at Roland Garros. But elsewhere, some people’s focus is completely on something else: grass. 

In just more than a week, the players will begin the grass-court swing during which six ATP World Tour events — two at the 500-level and four at the 250-level — lead into Wimbledon, with the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open held directly after the year’s third Grand Slam championship.

The Gerry Weber Open, which will take place from 16 to 24 June 2018 in Halle, Germany, is undergoing final preparations, as the crew works to prepare Gerry Weber Stadion for the wear and tear of the world’s best tennis. Roger Federer will seek his record tenth title, World No. 3 Alexander Zverev will attempt to capture his maiden grass-court trophy and other stars including Dominic Thiem and Miami winner John Isner will look to make their mark.

And while you may not think about it during the tournament, the grass is not simply rolled out like a carpet. 

Instead, forklift trucks transport 400 two-by-one-metre lawn tiles to the site to construct the 800-square-metre Centre Court. Those 800-kilogram tiles, according to the event’s Tournament Director, Ralf Weber, are the key to the tournament. A Lolium mixture helps the surface withstand the brunt of world-class play, with the seed providing a high-load capacity.

“The grass is a deciding factor for the matches at the Gerry Weber Open. Transferring the grass onto the Centre Court is one of our final preparations for the tournament,” said Weber. “The grass has reached an extraordinary standard, which has to be constantly maintained and optimized. That is why we survey our players and have a constant exchange with grass court experts at Wimbledon.”

So while the best players in the world continue to slide around on the red dirt, the grass courts are being set up for them now.