As the Wimbledon 2017 championship kicks off from 3 July 2017, Google celebrates the one hundred and fortieth year of this oldest tennis tournament with its new Doodle created by Gerben Steenks.
The Doodle features a green background which resembles the grass courts on which Wimbledon matches are played. Two animated tennis rackets have a round while all the letters of the word Google – except for the letter L which serves as the umpire – make up the spectators cheering for the players. The grass on the Wimbledon courts is cut to a height of 8mm since 1995, which according to expert research is optimum for present day play and survival.
Google has also taken care of the “endearing quirks” associated with Wimbledon like placing Rufus at the top right corner of the Doodle. Rufus is a Harris Hawk trained by Imogen Davis of Avian Control. It visits the Club most weeks in the year to provide a deterrent to local pigeons by making aware of a predator in the grounds to persuade them to roost elsewhere. It flies for one hour on most mornings of The Championships before the gates open.
Earlier concepts of the Doodle for this year’s Wimbledon are also showcased:
This concept shows just how fickle Wimbledon weather can be.
This idea captures the back-and-forth volley of spectators’ attentive eyes.
“To many fans and players, Wimbledon is tennis,” Google says. “Good luck to this year’s competitors!”