From sieves to Centre Court: Wimbledon still serves up magic

IT WAS roughly around this time of the year that our mothers’ enthusiasm for baking seemed to taper off in our community.

Out of nowhere, there was less home-baked bread, muffins, cupcakes … the list goes on. Back then, there were no problems with Eskom, and the Kimberley Municipality was on the ball. Meanwhile, electricity was cheaper – affordable at least – so there was no excuse for the womenfolk to stop baking the batter.

Was it laziness? Did they stop caring? Were they afraid that the yeast would not activate in the cold weather? I will bet that these are the questions that our readers may be asking at this point. However, the reason for the baking “strike” was far simpler. It was Wimbledon!

You see, back in those days, Wimbledon was the one tennis tournament that was broadcast on SABC. To be honest, I didn’t find out about the other Grand Slams until many years later. But what’s the link to baking, I’ll bet you’re wondering.

Copying our heroes on TV 

Here’s the thing: At Wimbledon time, with matches being broadcast on television, the children were tennis crazy. They would watch games with wide eyes and cheer on their heroes: Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Borg, Yvonne Goolagong Cawley, Chris Evert Lloyd – I mention all these names just to give you an idea of the array of stars we had to look up to, to admire, to emulate.

And that “emulation” is the reason why baking tapered off. You see, for the younger children, tea strainers and sieves made for the perfect racquet. And the ‘laaities’ would constantly be walking around swinging sieves and strainers, or swaying – passing the sieve from one hand to the other – like they saw their heroes doing as they awaited an opponent’s serve.

These are my memories of Wimbledon, besides the great rivalries that made the game so popular, and a topic of conversation across boundary fences – besides the mandatory ‘skinner’ of course. I wonder if children still have that thrill for the sport, or any sport for that matter. We are so saturated with sporting entertainment that perhaps they are a bit jaded.

That’s a pity, because tennis, especially Wimbledon, has lost none of its thrill and passion.

Take this year’s offering, for example. It’s piping hot – and I’m not talking about oven temperatures. The 2025 draw is filled with promise, plots, and players with a point to prove.

Big names, big games

Take Novak Djokovic, for example – the veteran, the master craftsman, still chiselling away at history. The Serb, now 38, is eyeing a record 25th Grand Slam title and an eighth Wimbledon crown that would draw him level with Roger Federer. He's made no secret that of all the Slams, this one feels most within reach. Wimbledon, he says, gives him that “extra push”.

In a recent interview, he didn’t mince words.

"I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform at the highest level,"

However, standing in his way are the two young titans who’ve already started shifting the sport’s centre of power. Carlos Alcaraz, 22 and fearless, has beaten Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals. He arrives as defending champion, and high on confidence due to being freshly crowned from a legendary five-set comeback win over Jannik Sinner at Roland-Garros.

Sinner, for his part, has something to prove on London grass. It's the only Slam where the world No.1 hasn't reached a final – yet. His early stumble in Halle may raise eyebrows, but with his explosive game, he’s never far from the action.

Not to be discounted is Britain’s own Jack Draper – the big-serving lefty leading the home charge – flanked by hopefuls like Jacob Fearnley and Cameron Norrie, all dreaming of Centre Court glory. Anything is possible; after all, a bobble or a skid of a tennis ball on grass could decide some crucial points.

Women's draw no less appealing

Meanwhile, on the women’s side of the draw, it’s impossible to ignore the laser focus of Aryna Sabalenka. After two heartbreak finals this year – in Melbourne and Paris – the Belarusian arrives in London with nothing short of the title in mind. Every detail matters to her. Rumour has it that even her toes get warmed up before practice.

But while Sabalenka prepares in the warm-up area, she will not have forgotten what happened in France a few weeks ago. 

Yes, Coco Gauff is breezing in like a force of nature. Fresh off her French Open triumph over Sabalenka, the 20-year-old American is aiming for the rare “Channel Slam” – back-to-back wins in Paris and London – something last achieved by Serena Williams in 2015. 

Gauff, cool as ever, shrugs at the pressure of playing two Grand Slams in such quick succession. “It’s a quick turnaround,” she says. “But we go again.”

So yes, the cast has changed since the days of tea-strainer racquets and backyard fence Wimbledon debates. But I believe that the magic is still there – for those with a paid streaming service. 

I’m even willing to bet that the emotions evoked by watching tough, fast-paced, thrilling tennis contests are still as sweet as a warm muffin on a winter morning – if your mom can find the sieve, that is.