Since 2009, Wimbledon matches can continue at night under what?

Since 2009, Wimbledon matches can continue at night under floodlighting.

The change became possible with the completion of Centre Court’s retractable roof for the 2009 Championships. When the roof was closed, powerful floodlights allowed play to continue after natural daylight had faded, making rain-delayed matches less likely to be postponed until the next day.

The first full match completed under the roof and floodlights was Andy Murray’s fourth-round match against Stan Wawrinka on 29 June 2009. It finished at 10:38 p.m., then the latest ending in Wimbledon history. The roof protected the court from rain, but it was the floodlighting that supplied the illumination needed for night play.

Candlelight, gas lamps, and sunlamps are not Wimbledon’s answer. The venue still operates within scheduling and local time restrictions, so floodlights do not mean matches can run indefinitely. Later late finishes, including a 2012 match ending at 11:02 p.m., showed how the technology changed the tournament’s traditional relationship with darkness.