Grass is the surface tennis was born on, and the only one of the four Grand Slam surfaces that still behaves like a living thing — changing day by day as the courts wear. Understanding it is the key to understanding why Wimbledon plays so differently from every other major.
When the ball strikes grass it slides rather than grips, so it keeps more of its speed and stays low. Rallies are shorter, reaction time is cut, and a well-placed serve can be almost impossible to return cleanly. Compared with the high, slow bounce of clay or the true, medium pace of hard courts, grass rewards players who take time away from their opponent and step inside the baseline.
Because points are short, the first strike matters more than anywhere else. A big serve sets up an easy second ball; a sharp return neutralises that advantage. For most of tennis history this favoured the serve-and-volley style: serve, move forward, and finish at the net before the opponent can set up a passing shot. Slice stays low on grass and skids, making it a deadly approach tool, while flat, penetrating groundstrokes work better than the heavy topspin that thrives on clay.
From the early 2000s the All England Club changed its grass to a hardier rye and the conditions slowed a touch. Combined with polyester strings that let players swing fast and still control the ball, this allowed elite baseliners to dominate where net-rushers once ruled. Today the best grass-court players are complete: they serve big, return well, move precisely on a slippery surface and still know how to volley when the moment calls for it.
These are exactly the attributes you draft in THE SLAM. A serve-and-volley build leans on serve, volley and movement; a baseliner stacks groundstrokes and return; a pusher frustrates with movement and consistency. There is no single right way to win on grass — only the build that survives seven rounds.
Build your champion →