It's much slower than in my early years," Monfils' observation on the evolution of Wimbledon's grass

Year after year, the grass used at Wimbledon is considered increasingly slower. The 2025 edition of the tournament began on Monday, and unsurprisingly, several players have commented on the sluggishness of the surface.

Gaël Monfils, who advanced to the second round after a five-set victory over Ugo Humbert, admitted that the playing conditions have drastically changed compared to his early days in the tournament 20 years ago:

"Toward the end of my career, playing four-hour matches on grass is grueling. I’m almost more exhausted than after a battle at Roland Garros. It’s slow, but you can’t run. The balls are big. In fact, once a rally starts, it’s going to be really slow.

We’re not really balanced. Even though sometimes it moves fast. But it’s much slower than in my early years. No comparison! I feel there are a lot of breaks. Even on serve, it’s not as explosive. When you hit a ‘kick,’ you can take the ball above shoulder height.