In what is believed to be a first in the 145-year history of Wimbledon, officials at the All England Club will allow players to practice on the main courts in an attempt to avoid the nasty scenes that plagued the grass-court grand slam last year.

Controversy erupted at Wimbledon in 2021 when the opening rounds saw a number of players fall and injure themselves on the slippery surface.

Adrian Mannarino also retired hurt against Roger Federer, while Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios were among other players to take scary tumbles.

The 23-time grand slam champion hasn’t played in the 12 months that have followed the heartbreaking scenes, but will make her return at Wimbledon after accepting a wildcard.

A young ball kid was also taken off the court in a stretcher after slipping and falling later in the tournament.

Russian and Belarusian players are banned from the tournament due to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with the ATP and WTA stripping Wimbledon of rankings points in retaliation to the shock decision.