SERVING UP WORDS: If watching the 2024 Wimbledon Championships isn’t enough for tennis fans, they can now read all about it in the new, limited-edition zine called Ready.
British players Andy Murray and Katie Boulter have created the zine with American Express and the former i-D magazine editor, Ryan White.
Ready has a print run of 12,000 and aims to help tennis fans understand the game better. There is a guide to the scoring system; a look at players’ pre-match self-care rituals; a list of tennis lingo; and the players’ favorite shops on and off the Wimbledon grounds.
“I loved ripping out pages from fashion magazines, and putting them on my wall when I was a kid, so collaborating on the zine has been super fun,” said Boulter, adding that the Wimbledon Championships are her favorite two weeks on the tennis calendar.
She gets ready for her matches by listening to music. “I recommend ‘Lion’ by Damián. I’m a little biased because this is my tennis practice partner’s music. I listened to this song every day in San Diego, which is the tournament that I won. And it just reminds me of going out and fighting and being ready,” she added.
In the zine, Murray discusses reading the Harry Potter series for the first time only because his children started reading the books six months ago. “I’d never read them when I was younger, and I had never watched any of the movies,” added Murray, who was likely too busy practicing his technique.
Getting ready for his matches, the tennis star named La Bottega Del Pane as his favorite place to grab a bite. “They always want me to get as much food in as possible then it gets kind of lighter and lighter as the day goes on,” Murray said.
Murray will be playing men’s doubles with his older brother, Jamie, against Australian players John Peers and Rinky Hijikata.
In addition to publishing the magazine, American Express has set up the Amex Pavilion on the hill, allowing for an ace view of the grounds. Inside the pavilion, guests can play speed games, test their tennis knowledge, and win prizes.