WIMBLEDON — The grass is still green with its usual muddy brown spots by the baseline, the strawberries and cream are still priced at 2.50 pounds at the All-England Club and the rain is forever in and out, in and out.
But the players feel the difference. This is the Olympics — and it’s not even close to Wimbledon.
“If this is your first time at Wimbledon, you’re not getting the real experience,’’ one player agent said. “It’s like someone hijacked Wimbledon. The Olympic organizers should’ve just let Wimbledon run it.’’
There are too many garish pink Olympic banners laced all about, overpowering the stately charm and ambiance of Wimbledon’s ivy facade. And it could have been worse.
The All-England Club made a stand against McDonald’s, a major Olympic sponsor. The burger giant wanted a concession and got denied.
“The powers-that-be here blocked it,’’ one tennis source said.
But you can’t move about the grounds without being blasted by Coca-Cola products. You need to hire a search party to find a strawberries-and-cream vendor. Crowds are down and many of the side-court matches are lightly attended.
The Big Macs are not missed, but the traditional all-white outfits unique to this venue are. Venus Williams took Centre Court to start yesterday’s star-studded card in a blue get-up. Maria Sharapova finished out the day in a bright red top facing British favorite Laura Robson, whose first name was chanted loudly by an un-Wimbledon-like crowd. Many have their faces painted and carry Union Jack flags.
“I enjoyed [the chants], being self-indulgent,’’ said Robson, who lost in straight sets. “It’s definitely louder than what I’ve become used to in England. It’s definitely a different crowd and a good crowd.’’
Louder but smaller than the normal Wimbledon chaos.
“I definitely feel like I’m at the Olympics,’’ said Venus, who crushed Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak in her second-rounder 6-1, 6-3. “There’s no doubt about that. The Olympics are happening all around us and we’re watching it every day. There’s no confusion to what this is. The Olympics Games you come to, it’s your first time you’ve ever played there. But this place has a history of the Olympics [1908].
“I’m glad I played in a year when the Olympics came back to Wimbledon.’’
Andy Roddick, who was shellacked by Novak Djokovic, admitted to being disoriented at the Wimbledon transformation.
“I thought it was going to be a little weird,’’ Roddick said. “It’s different. It’s weird for us. We have a history at this venue that’s not quite this. There’s different people working here. You really don’t know anyone here by a first-name basis. All the routes are different. They’re shutting off streets. It’s like the Olympified Wimbledon. It’s all different, but you have to use this venue. It’s the best tennis place in the world. It’s a no-brainer.”
For Venus, the best part of the Olympified Wimbledon is trading pins. She’s collected several hundred since 2000 — her first Olympiad.
Following her match, she traded for a Bahamas pin with a fan in the seats.
“It’s fun and a great way to meet people and the pins are very beautiful,’’ Venus said. “I have pins all the way from 2000. It’s pride for me.’’
The Centre Court seats were mostly jam-packed for the Andy Murray and Robson matches, but there have been empty pockets for other stadium matches. That never happens during the Championships. The Royal Box, meanwhile, is left sparse.
The cheers were huge for Murray, who hails from Scotland, whenever he started a service game in the second set.
“It’s the noise you hear when you’re serving for the match,’’ Murray said. “It’s a different crowd, different feeling when you’re playing for your country. It feels more like the Davis Cup-type atmosphere.”
The Wimbledon venue undoubtedly has boosted interest in the overlooked Olympic tennis competition. But over these eight days, Wimbledon doesn’t feel like the same hallowed ground.