Wimbledon Matches Suspended Amid Fan Illness, Curfew Protests

Taylor Fritz's first-round Wimbledon match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was controversially suspended due to a curfew despite Fritz staging an impressive comeback to force a deciding fifth set. The match was halted over 40 minutes before the 11pm curfew, sparking boos from the crowd and visible frustration from Fritz, who had battled back from two sets down and a 1-5 deficit in the fourth set tiebreak. The curfew, enforced as part of an agreement with Merton Council since 2009, requires play to stop by 11pm on Court 1, where a retractable roof is present. Fans and commentators criticized the early suspension, calling for the removal or adjustment of the curfew to allow matches to finish, especially given the momentum in Fritz’s favor and the substantial time remaining before the cutoff. Meanwhile, other matches, such as Alexander Zverev's, were able to continue closer to the curfew time, highlighting perceived inconsistencies in enforcement. The incident has reignited debate about Wimbledon’s scheduling rules and whether they adequately accommodate the demands of high-stakes matches during the tournament’s limited daylight hours.