Grass-court tennis underwent a major change just after the turn of the century. Historically, serve & volleyers ruled the day, with the likes of Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, nine-time champion Martina Navratilova, Jana Novotna and Conchita Martinez rushing the net to claim titles.
Many top-ranked clay-court specialists didn’t even bother to turn up to Wimbledon.
Concerned that the greatest showcase of tennis had become one of the least watchable due to a lack of rallies, the All England Club slowed down playing conditions, levelling the field for all game styles.
Although some tennis purists bemoan the demise of serve-and-volley tennis on grass, others believe the slower conditions have been a net positive, producing more entertaining rallies.