Let the games begin!

War Cry’s Claire Brine talks to Wimbledon official George Martin ahead of this year's championships.

Quiet, please! Wimbledon fortnight is about to begin. Next Monday (30 June), tennis stars from around the globe will be hitting the courts at SW19, preparing to take their shot at championship glory at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

While fans get ready to tuck into generous servings of strawberries and cream, players heading for the grassy courts are no doubt working out their strategies for the games, sets and matches that lie ahead.

Will Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending men’s singles champion, who earlier this month won a classic French Open final, use his past successes to his advantage and secure an impressive Wimbledon hat-trick? Are we likely to see Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff carry on their good form to claim the women’s singles title that was won last year by Barbora Krejcikova?

No doubt eyes will also be on the top British players, including Jack Draper, who triumphed at this year’s Indian Wells Open, and Emma Raducanu, a Grand Slam champion who has yet to make it past the fourth round of a Wimbledon tournament.

Whatever predictions fans may make from the sidelines, the only thing that’s certain in tennis is that anything can happen. The athletes on court have everything to play for. And it can be thrilling to watch.

‘You can feel the excitement in the air,’ says George Martin, who lives in Abergavenny, but is about to spend his fourth year officiating at Wimbledon as part of the chief umpire’s management team. 

‘When fans are watching a match, there’s suspense, there’s tension, there’s the “will they, won’t they?” feeling when a player’s on the brink of a match point. You can see the joy on people’s faces because it’s all such a buzz.’

For 20 years, George served at Wimbledon as a line and chair umpire, covering matches between some of the world’s top players, including Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Serena Williams. After retiring from court in 2021, he joined the chief umpire’s management team, where he works with others to carry out such tasks as assigning chair umpires to matches and match assistants to courts.

‘The first year in my new role, I stood on Centre Court the day before the tournament started, thinking: “Have I done the right thing?”’ he remembers. 

‘As it turned out, I did miss the adrenaline and the pressure of umpiring a match. And my family missed spotting me on the telly. But it was great that I got to finish on such a high.

‘The last line I called at Wimbledon was a serve for the gentlemen’s singles final in 2021, which was Djokovic versus Berrettini. So I can say that I left at the top.’

Although George enjoyed the years he spent working on court, he is grateful to have made the move into management when he did – otherwise he may have found himself out of a job. 

This year, Wimbledon is following in the footsteps of other major tennis tournaments by adopting live electronic line-calling, rather than relying on line umpires to judge whether a ball is in or out.

‘There won’t be any line umpires on court at all,’ George says. ‘So no one really knows yet what this year’s Wimbledon is going to look like. It’s new for everybody.

‘On the subject of electronic line-calling, I’m not surprised that Wimbledon is adopting it. It is a system that has worked around the world and it has been used at two of the Grand Slams already. Officials have tested it. Players accept it. 

'They no longer have to worry about stopping play in order to challenge whether a ball was in or out. They can focus on just hitting the ball.’

As part of the chief umpire’s management team, George knows that he’s in for a busy two weeks. As a Wimbledon official, he must arrive on site at 8am every day – and won’t clock off until 15 minutes after play finishes.

‘The hours are very long,’ he says. ‘Sometimes I don’t finish until 11.30pm. The Sunday in the middle of the tournament used to be a day off, but that was dropped a few years ago, so I’m usually working for 17 days solid.’

Although the workload can be intense, George enjoys his role. He has been a fan of Wimbledon ever since his first visit to the grounds 30 years ago, when he watched the tournament with his mum.

‘It’s just a beautiful place to be,’ he says. ‘Even after all these years, I still feel privileged that I get to work here. I love being on court the week before the tournament starts.

'As part of the management team, we are there, testing Hawk-Eye and the scoreboards to make sure everything is working. We get to see the magic happen, right up to the last minute. I see the flowers being watered and people finishing off bits of painting. It’s a wonderful place to be.’

It's also a place that George describes as important to his Christian service – because when he’s not at the tennis court, he spends the rest of the year working as a youth specialist for The Salvation Army in Wales, encouraging young people on their faith journey.

‘As a Christian, I see Wimbledon as one of my front lines,’ he explains. ‘Working for The Salvation Army, I’m often surrounded by people of faith. But Wimbledon is where I get to meet with people who perhaps aren’t Christians, and I have some great conversations with them.

‘Being part of the officials’ management team means I’m constantly dealing with people – and I like that because I’m a people person. So my faith is about trying to influence the culture in a positive way.’

Many of George’s colleagues know that he’s a Christian – and he isn’t afraid to share his faith with them, should the opportunity arise.

‘Sometimes when colleagues have been struggling or faced tragedy, I’ve sent them a WhatsApp message, saying “I’m praying for you”, which seems to be more accepted these days than it used to be. I think there’s an openness to being prayed for.

‘In every situation, I try to treat others in a way that shows God’s light and expresses his love.’