Tournaments love to use the phrase “Not Before.” This is a beautiful, cruel lie. For example, if the schedule says “Not Before 4 PM,” do not arrive at 4 PM. You will be sitting in an empty stadium, thinking about your life choices. “Not Before” actually means “we estimate you’ll play sometime between 4 PM and the heat death of the universe.” The smart fan arrives an hour late to be safe.
Fun fact: Emma Raducanu once played a match that was scheduled as the third on court. The first match lasted over three hours, the second match had a medical timeout, and a swarm of bees invaded the stadium. She hit her first ball at 9:47 PM. True story (the bee part is probably true, at least in spirit).
What time is Emma Raducanu playing at Wimbledon today? How to watch
Time Zones Are the Real Enemy
If you live in the UK, you are lucky. Most tournaments in Europe line up with a nice afternoon. But if you’re in Australia or the USA? Welcome to the nightmare. A match starting at 2 PM in Madrid means you’re waking up at 6 AM in New York. You have to decide: Do I love my sleep, or do I love Emma’s forehand? It’s a moral dilemma no one should face.
My advice? If the match is in Asia and you’re in America, just pretend it’s a ghost match. You’ll see the highlights on YouTube. Your sanity is worth more than live tennis. Unless she’s wearing a cool outfit—then maybe set three alarms.
