When crowds of tennis fans wind their way through the upmarket Wimbledon Village en route to the All England Club, restaurant owner Adrian Mills will be relieved to see them after months of meagre trading near the famous old grounds.
After last year's Wimbledon was cancelled because of the pandemic, players and fans are returning to the London suburb for this year's tournament – in a boost for Mr Mills and his Thai Tho business.
“Last year you couldn’t even think about tennis but we were quite bereft because it just felt bizarre not to have it,” said Mr Mills, 64, chairman of the Wimbledon Village Business Association.
“When the fans are here, it’s phenomenal. It’s a fantastic privilege to have it [the tournament] down the road.”
With fans needing proof of Covid vaccination or a negative test to enter the grounds and players staying in specially approved hotels, Wimbledon 2021 will not quite be a return to full normality.
But organisers hope to fill 50 per cent of seats in the early rounds and are aiming for 100 per cent capacity for the semi-finals and finals.
The tournament starts on June 28, by which time the UK government was due to lift all restrictions on social contact.
This was pushed back four weeks by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a surge in cases caused by the Delta variant first identified in India.
Fans are still able to come because Wimbledon is part of a UK government pilot project to test the safety of major events.
For Matthew Swan, a musician who was painting tennis-themed decorations in the window of a pub on Thursday, the delay means he cannot perform in front of packed venues in Wimbledon Village as he would like.
“People are relieved that anything at all is happening,” he said. “It’s 100 per cent better than last year.
“It’s going to be different this year but it’s always a lively atmosphere.”
Ticket scramble
When Wimbledon tickets went on sale on a Thursday lunchtime, eager tennis fans caused an online frenzy with tens of thousands waiting in a virtual queue.
David Smith, one of those on the case, had nine different browsers open on three screens in an effort to improve his chances.
The plan worked, with Mr Smith now gearing up to watch the final – and even getting hold of a spare ticket for his mother. “She’s been a tennis fan her whole life and has never been to a final before. She’ll love it,” he said.
There was no such clamour outside the All England Lawn Tennis Club, as Wimbledon’s hosts are formally known. With all tickets sold online, the gates were deserted except for a handful of security staff and passers-by.
The traditional queue of fans who wait for hours to get inside the grounds will be absent this year because of the pandemic.
There will still be a bit of a buzz and an atmosphere and something for everyone to talk about
But another Wimbledon tradition – watching the action on a big screen from the grassy slope known as Henman Hill – will be revived.
The nickname arose in the 1990s in tribute to British player Tim Henman and the name has stuck despite more recent references to Murray Mound.
"The hill will be open," Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
“We’re still working through the exact detail of how that will work, but very much open and very much part of the championships this year.”
Also returning are traffic restrictions in Wimbledon town centre, with cars banned from parking on Church Road – the street from Wimbledon Village to the tennis club – from 8.30am to 11.30pm during the tournament.
Some Wimbledon residents rent out their apartments for the fortnight and take the opportunity for a holiday.
Tennis stars such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams will not be among the tenants, as the players are staying in special accommodation elsewhere.
It means that the players who sometimes come to Mr Mills’s restaurant – because of the healthy offerings on its menu, he believes – are not expected to show up this time. But he is still pleased with the return of fans.
“That is a massive boost economically for Wimbledon Village because it brings people up there who want to be close to the action,” he said.
'It's an exciting time'
After a tough economic year, Wimbledon’s cafes and restaurants can welcome guests indoors in groups of up to six people or two households.
Many of them have decked out their stores with tennis-themed displays before the tournament begins.
Gianluca Minozzo, 51, is the manager of a delicatessen called Table Vallebona and is aiming to put some of his wares on outdoor tables to attract fans.
The shop has never witnessed a Wimbledon week because it only opened last November.
“It’s an exciting time so we are looking forward to that,” Mr Minozzo said. “I would love to be there in person.”
At a fitness and physiotherapy centre called Nordic Balance, some clients have come in, appropriately enough, with tennis elbow – and reception manager John Conradi, 29, said there could be more of them in the coming weeks.
Nordic Balance was not there when a full complement of fans last came to Wimbledon but staff are eagerly anticipating this year’s event.
“We are excited to see how it is,” Mr Conradi said.
At a Shelter charity shop, volunteer Alison Filday, 82, would like to see a late opening at the store so customers who return from the tennis can browse for second-hand items as well as sitting down for food.
“It would be a good idea for all of us to stay open a bit later at night,” she said. “They come to eat here and they see all the shops are closed, it’s very quiet.”
Shop manager Joe Tooze, 33, said even the partial return of fans would be a lift for the area after a trying year.
“There will still be a bit of a buzz and an atmosphere and something for everyone to talk about,” he said. “It’s nice having people around.”
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
Pathaan
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE FIXTURES
October 18 – 7.30pm, UAE v Oman, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 19 – 7.30pm, UAE v Ireland, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 21 – 2.10pm, UAE v Hong Kong, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 22 – 2.10pm, UAE v Jersey, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 24 – 10am, UAE v Nigeria, Abu Dhabi Cricket Oval 1
October 27 – 7.30pm, UAE v Canada, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 29 – 2.10pm, Playoff 1 – A2 v B3; 7.30pm, Playoff 2 – A3 v B2, at Dubai International Stadium.
October 30 – 2.10pm, Playoff 3 – A4 v Loser of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Playoff 4 – B4 v Loser of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 1 – 2.10pm, Semifinal 1 – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Semifinal 2 – A1 v Winner of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 2 – 2.10pm, Third place Playoff – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Final, at Dubai International Stadium
The%20Specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELamborghini%20LM002%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205.2-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20450hp%20at%206%2C800rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%20at%204%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFive-speed%20manual%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100kph%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%209%20seconds%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYears%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201986-93%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20vehicles%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20328%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EValue%20today%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24300%2C000%2B%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
More from our neighbourhood series:
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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