The reason the Wimbledon men's trophy has a gold pineapple on top
The 136th Wimbledon men's singles final will get underway on Sunday as reigning champion Novak Djokovic goes up against world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court.
Djokovic has won every edition of the competition since 2018 and is familiar to lifting the famous trophy, having done so on seven occasions. Meanwhile, Alcaraz, who has already won the US Open, could win the prestigious event for the first time in his career.
Although Djokovic is more than used to seeing the Wimbledon prize up close, Alcaraz may not be so familiar with the make up of the trophy. The Spaniard could be surprised then when he has a closer look at the coveted cup and sees a... pineapple at the top.
Why is that the case? Well, while nobody has a definite explanation, there are plenty of theories. According to the official account, the most likely reason for the pineapple's presence on the trophy is the fruit's status as an exclusive, desirable product at the time of Wimbledon's origins after the tournament first debuted in 1887.
The trophy is made of silver gilt, stands 18 inches high, and is inscribed: 'The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World'. The names of all the champions, including first winner Spencer Gore, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic are engraved on the trophy.
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But who will have their name added to the 2023 engravement? That remains to be seen but it's anticipated to be the closest and most competitive final in years, with Alcaraz at the top of his game and Djokovic still going strong.
Speaking on Friday, Alcaraz said: "It is going to be the best moment of my life, probably. Playing a final here in Wimbledon is something that I dreamed about when I started playing tennis.
Carlos Alcaraz will face Novak Djokovic on Sunday (Getty Images)"It's even better playing against Novak. It’s going to be a really emotional moment for me. But I'll try to stay calm in that moment. For Novak it is one more day, one more moment. For me, it’s going to be the best moment of my life."
"I will try to get into the court with not as much nerves as I probably had in French Open, in the semi-final," he added. "I try to pull out all nerves, try to enjoy that moment because in the semi-final at the French Open I didn’t enjoy it at all in the first set.
"I think I’ll be better on Sunday. Probably in the mental part I will do something different [before the match], to stay calm, to show that I'm not nervous. Some exercise in the mental part. I'll do some exercise to stay calm and to forget – or I'll try to forget that I’m going to play a final against Novak."
Meanwhile, Djokovic said: "He [Alcaraz] proved why he is one of the players of the next generation and one of the best players in the world. I’d like to believe I’m playing some of my best tennis ever. I try not to think about the age. I feel a lot of motivation. I want to return the favour to this sport and play as much as I possibly can."
"Each set was closer than it appeared on the scoreboard," the 36-year-old added. "I think I found the right shots at the right time, especially towards the end of the match. But the job is not finished until I lift the trophy."
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