Wimbledon 2016 is upon us. Two weeks of tantalizing tennis, strawberries and (probably) the occasional rain delay. Mark Hodgkinson kicks off Day 1 with the first installment of his daily diary from SW19:
Boris the Brit?
For years, he has been Baron Boris of Wimbledon, living within walking distance of Centre Court, where he is reminded every day of his teenage days hijacking history. Boris Becker's "love" for the All England Club and for British culture is reciprocated -- Novak Djokovic's coach might just be Britain's favourite German.
And are Becker's ties with Britain, London and Wimbledon Village about to become even stronger? Could Brexit -- Britain's impending divorce from the European Union -- speed up Becker's application for British citizenship? Becker has previously indicated how he and his family -- including his Dutch wife, Lilly, and their son, Amadeus, who was born in London -- would "eventually" apply for citizenship.
The result of last week's referendum would doubtless have given Becker much to think about over the past few days. Aside, that is, from preparing Djokovic for Wimbledon, where the Serb could put himself three-quarters of the way to a calendar-year Grand Slam.
This is exactly how I feel ...uncertainty awaits us all ... Frightening times .. So confused and upset ..why??? pic.twitter.com/tpCHG4J6VC
— sharlely becker (@sharlely) 24 June 2016
The dismay at the referendum result within the Becker household was made clear when Lilly tweeted a picture of Samantha Cameron's anguished face (taken as she stood beside her husband outside Downing Street as he announced he was stepping down). "This is exactly how I feel," she observed. "Uncertainty awaits us all. Frightening times. So confused and upset. Why?"
In an earlier tweet, she disclosed how she was "confused" and in "utter shock."
A dog's life for Andy Murray
As if having her own Twitter account wasn't enough, Andy Murray's dog Maggie May has now published a book. Written with a little assistance from Murray's wife, Kim, the book is called, "How to Look After Your Human: A Dog's Guide," and it contains some useful tips.
For instance, here is Maggie May's advice on bonding: "Humans are ultimately a tactile, affectionate species. This is one of the reasons that we dogs so enjoy sharing our homes with them. It's important to show how much you love your human on a regular basis. Don't underestimate the importance of a tail wag or a wet kiss in cementing the bond between the two of you."
Testing, testing, one-two ...
It's the returning men's champion's privilege to "open" Centre Court on the first Monday of The Championships, which Djokovic will do when he plays Britain's James Ward at 1 p.m. local time.
But it's a myth that Djokovic and Ward will be the first to play on the grass; that experience went to a group of female members of the All England Club who played a ladies' doubles match on Saturday.
A spokesman for the All England Club told the Wimbledon Diary that the doubles match was used to check that all the systems on the court -- such as the scoreboard and the Hawk-Eye line-calling technology -- were working correctly.
Money, money, money ...
Don't be surprised to overhear the players, who are among the Brexit losers, discussing the financial markets between matches.
The Wimbledon prize money pot has never been as high (in pounds) as it has this summer, with an overall fund of £21.7 million, with each of the singles champions receiving £2m and the first-round losers pocketing £30,000.
But the volatility in the markets caused by last week's referendum has seen the pound drop against the euro and the U.S. dollar, among other currencies. Unless the fund surges over the next fortnight, it's likely that visiting players won't be compensated as highly for their efforts as they might have previously imagined.