Andy Murray’s two youngest children, Teddy and Darcy, will be banned from watching him play at Wimbledon this year due to a little-known rule.
The All England Club prohibits children under the age of five from attending matches on Centre Court and Court 1. This rule is in place to protect the children’s hearing from the loud noise of the crowd and the players’ grunting.
Murray, who is a two-time Wimbledon champion, said he was “disappointed” by the rule, but he understood the reasons behind it.
“I think it’s a shame,” he said. “I would love for them to be able to come and watch me play, but I understand the reasons why they have the rule in place.”
Murray’s wife, Kim Sears, said she was “frustrated” by the rule, but she said she would respect the decision of the All England Club.
“It’s a shame, but we’ll just have to watch from home,” she said.
The rule has been in place for several years, and it has been met with mixed reactions from fans. Some people believe that the rule is necessary to protect the children’s hearing, while others believe that it is too restrictive.
In 2017, former Wimbledon champion Roger Federer said that he would like to see the rule relaxed so that children under the age of five could attend matches on Centre Court and Court 1.
“I think it would be great for the kids to be able to come and watch,” he said. “It would be a great experience for them.”
The All England Club has not said whether it is considering relaxing the rule in the future.
