REPORT. Wimbledon 2025: In front of the "members' dressing room," the holy of holies and "the place to be" to catch a glimpse of its champions

A large crowd regularly gathers at the entrance to the members' dressing room, trying to approach and photograph their favorite players.

There are places more confidential than others. For Wimbledon spectators, one of the attractions is to catch a glimpse of, or even greet, the champions as they cross the famous walkway between Centre Court, where the changing rooms are located, and the players' restaurant, next to the media centre. But below this is also the well-guarded door to the members' dressing room , where a lingering smell of laundry detergent wafts out every morning in good weather .

This is the entrance to the temple for the players, but also the heavily guarded exit to the courts. " Why are people waiting here?" Philipp asks us shortly before 11 a.m. local time, as a crowd of onlookers gathers in Allée Saint-Mary. Because the players from courts 2 to 18 are getting ready to go to their courts and should be passing through here shortly.

Just like rush hour on the Tube platforms, the English wait to catch a glimpse of their champions who, after changing in the locker rooms set up in the building on the center court, must make their way through a path already marked out by their close guard. " Every year, I try to come before the first matches in the morning ," Sara explains to franceinfo:sport. "I can get photos of my own players and see them very focused ." Experienced in this exercise, the young woman also tries, " more in the evening ," to meet the " top players ." " I've never had Andy Murray, but I had Emma Raducanu last year and Cameron Norrie this year, among the most famous." British players who are not the only ones to cause crowds.

Earlier in the week, a passage by Jannik Sinner or even the Frenchman Gaël Monfils on the walkway overlooking the famous entrance, had provoked shouts and exclamations from a crowd gathered in the passage. " Oh I would like to have Novak Djokovic as we don't know if he will come back other years, continues Sara . But it might be complicated because he plays mainly on the Centre Court so we will only see him through the windows ." Because the players who have the honors of the centre court take a different path.

An article on the Wimbledon website recounted the ceremonial surrounding the players' path to Centre Court. " It's the same route every day of the tournament, and it's always very exciting to do this walk with the players before a match," said Dan Bloxham, then master of ceremonies for the final between Andy Murray and Milos Raonic, in 2016. From the clubhouse of the All England Club to the antechamber to enter the court, it takes more than two minutes to walk through the corridors where photographs of former champions, winners' tables and other trophies from previous editions are displayed, reports the organization's website. " I would love to visit the members' dressing room, " Sara confides. " But it's one of the best-kept places in England ," she jokes.

The Londoner is left with her photos, as well as dreams and fantasies about what's going on inside. Thomas explains to his two children that " the tennis champions we're going to see today come out here to play ." " If I ever play at Wimbledon, will I come out in front of all these people?" his daughter asks. " Oh, there will be even more, that's for sure, but don't be impatient, you still have to play a lot of matches before you get there. Emma [Raducanu] played here for the first time at 16." With stars in her eyes, the little girl already knows that the members' dressing room is the beginning of a dream.