- Wimbledon will begin on Monday and qualifying is currently taking place.
- But there have been big problems with the water on offer in Roehampton.
- One fan even claimed that the water available at the refill stations was “not drinkable.”
Wimbledon suffered an embarrassing mishap days before the Grand Slam began after staff reportedly admitted the water at bottle refill stations at the qualifying event was “not drinkable”.
The iconic Grand Slam starts on Monday, but qualifying takes place this week in Roehampton, with 16 places available in the men’s and women’s singles draws.
However, despite the scorching heat at the venue, problems arose with the drinking water available to spectators.
The quality of free water at Wimbledon filling stations has been periodically criticized over the years, but on Tuesday some fans explained how the system has completely broken down.
As a result, staff members were forced to hand out free bottles of Evian, one of Wimbledon’s main sponsors.
Wimbledon suffered an embarrassing mishap days before the Grand Slam began
There have been problems with drinking water available to fans during qualifying at Roehampton.
Fans took to X to reveal that the water available at the refill stations was described as “non-potable”.
One fan took to The water from the taps “is not drinkable”, that’s why they hand out bottles of Evian.
Another supporter added: ‘The system went downhill quickly. It was closed to the public and they started handing out bottles of Evian water to everyone.
‘They said they would solve the problem by Wednesday. There is no water in the sinks in the women’s bathroom for about two hours. Charming.’
The mishap comes after Wimbledon revealed that a new scheme will be implemented this year that will charge fans to refill bottles.
In partnership with Evian, fans can pay £5 to get refills of Evian mineral water at various stations around the venue, in an initiative that is the first of its kind.
Explaining the new initiative, Gemma Morgan, marketing director at Danone, Evian’s parent company, said: “We know that refilling plays, and will continue to play, an important role in the way people consume water here in the Kingdom United.
“The response to the player refill system last year was incredibly positive, so we want to expand refilling to spectators to explore the potential on a larger scale.”
It also comes after players were given the opportunity to participate in the top-up system last year when it was offered in locker rooms and restaurants.
For the 2022 tournament, 114,000 single-use plastic bottles were supplied, while in 2023 only 10,000 reusable bottles were offered to stars, something that was welcomed by players, including Emma Raducanu.
Wimbledon reveals new plan with Evian that will force fans to pay to refill their bottles
The quality of the free water on offer at Wimbledon refill stations has come under fire over the years.
Former British star Laura Robson previously criticized stars for wasting water at the Grand Slam
Similarly, former British star Laura Robson previously criticized those who wasted water using plastic bottles.
“All the players on the practice courts take a couple sips from a water bottle and then leave it there,” he said.
‘Should there be a fine, perhaps? “We’re joking about it, but maybe it’s something that needs to happen.”