After past two weeks of Wimbledon-mania, today feels a bit – well, blah.
For one, I’m still feeling a bit forlorn over the fact Roddick lost to Federer in the final. He SO deserved to win the match – for all of Federer’s talents, I do think he was lucky this time. Plus, even though I know it’s the sponsors fault, I can’t help but find Rogers “F” branded tennis gear a bit too much…let alone the fact they already had made his jacket with the number 15 embroidered on it (to mark his record Grand Slam wins) as though it was already assumed he’d win. I know, I know, it’s all marketing – but still, there’s an arrogance there.
Secondly there’s the fact that our two week stint of sun (which ironically almost made the new centre court roof redundant) has now been replaced by grey skies and pouring rain.
Lastly, as I started my commute at Wimbledon Station this morning, everything was back to being mundane – no fake grass lining the entrance, no excited fans crowding round the taxi rank, no Wii tennis screen (which was in the process of being dismantled), no steward handing out Wimbledon information pamphlets… It was just a Monday like any other.
As I sit here emailing newspaper editors about our upcoming book The Next 100 Years, by George Friedman I can’t help but wonder if I’ll still get as excited about the Wimbledon fanfare fifty years from now (I am actually writing this with a crick in my neck from tensing so much watching that harrowing fifth set). Chances are I probably will – unless Federer keeps winning, that is.

Chiara Priorelli, Publicity Manager