by Beth Rifkin
The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Coldplay, Queen, The Cure, The Clash - Wimbledon - ok, maybe not a British band but the All England Club's Tour and Museum certainly do Rock!
See the real thing for yourself - the Press Interview Room, Centre Court (when renovations allow), Court No. 1, the Picnic Terraces, WaterGardens and the MillenniumBuilding.
The interactive exhibitions in the Wimbledon Museum showcase a mixture of today's stars with the history and tradition for which the All England Club is known - championship trophies, a ghost-like image of John McEnroe that takes you on a tour of the men's locker room, 200 degree cinema with Matrix-style special effects capturing the science of tennis, film and video footage of the most memorable matches throughout tennis history, tennis memorabilia and an extensive collection of Wimbledon fashions.
For a short time, visitors to the museum will get an extra special surprise! The complete set of Chinese Terracotta Tennis Warriors featuring last year's eight ATP Tennis Masters Cup single's qualifiers will be on display. The statues of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick, David Ferrer, Fernando Gonzalez and Richard Gasquet are scheduled to be on display at the Club until March 2008, after which they will be given to each respective player. The showing of the Tennis Terracotta Warriors at Wimbledon gives visitors a preview of the ATP's Tennis Masters Cup, which will be moving to London's O2 Arena in 2009.
Still think rock stars out mojo tennis stars? Well, I bet Mick Jagger wouldn't give you a tour of his home!
Tours are off-limits during the Championships.
Pictured above: 2006 & 2007 Wimbledon finalist Rafael Nadal and champion Roger Federer
January 29, 2008
