Tuesday 28 July 2026 5:00 am
| Updated:
Monday 27 July 2026 3:45 pm
Wimbledon chiefs stand ready to defend its distinctive green and purple branding
Wimbledon chiefs stand ready to defend its distinctive green and purple branding after plans emerged for a Saudi tennis mega-complex with a similar colourway.Renders for a National Tennis Centre in Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya giga-project were released in June, showing a central court draped in foliage and 29 other courts decked out in a purple and green colourway similar to the pantone used – and trademarked in the UK and beyond – by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which runs the Wimbledon Championships.When asked about the similarities, Wimbledon’s marketing and commercial director Usama Al-Qassab told City AM that “imitation is the finest form of flattery”.“We’re very proud of what our site looks like and our brand. We defend it rigorously and we promote it with great care and attention. The purple and the green you see, and the cross racket logo are part of the Wimbledon equity.”He added: “These are just CGI visuals at the moment, and let’s see what turns out. I wouldn’t be surprised if green is in the colour scheme somewhere because that generally seems to be the colour of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”The Indian Wells tournament – dubbed the unofficial fifth Grand Slam – has a lighter purple court with a light green surround, but resembles the Wimbledon brand less than the proposed Saudi complex, designed by renowned architects Populous.
