The Wimbledon finale recently concluded with Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz securing the coveted title for the second consecutive year by defeating Novak Djokovic. Equally memorable as the finale are the iconic and instantly recognizable green and purple Championship towels, representing Wimbledon’s brand colors. These towels, used by all tennis players on the court in every match, have been manufactured entirely in India, specifically in Vapi, Gujarat, for the past 15 years since 2009.
“Our collaboration with Wimbledon for so many years has been a mark of India’s fine production quality on a global scale like this Championship. The Wimbledon towels are not just well-known, they are collector’s items for tennis fans! It is indeed a matter of pride that these Indian-made products are ethically and ecologically produced. India’s role in Wimbledon and India’s growing global impact must be celebrated,” stated Vanshika Goenka, CEO of Christy UK, a subsidiary of Welspun Living Limited, the official towel manufacturers for the championship.
The factory in Vapi is known for “creating yarn-dyed jacquard towels,” as per Goenka. These towels are crafted by weaving two different colored yarns to create the fabric, resulting in a product that is visually striking on both sides.
India’s prominence in the global textile industry is on the rise, and Goenka attributes significant credit to the Indian government’s support. “Endeavours like these will empower skills, create jobs, and bring in a lot more global vendors to the domestic market,” Goenka added.
Lucy Ackroyd, head of design at Christy UK, shared that the design process for each year starts 18 months in advance of the tournament, considering current design and color trends. “The fact that every player uses them on the court makes the product a much-wanted souvenir for tennis fans,” Ackroyd noted, explaining that each towel undergoes a seven-day manufacturing process.
Each year, the design is screen-tested on the court to ensure visibility on camera during the tournament. Ackroyd mentioned, “While in previous years, the towels have always been designed in a landscape format, the 2024 design layout was a portrait. This was a specific design direction from the team at Wimbledon. The decision to change to a portrait design format was to make the towel more appealing to use off-court as beach towels. The designs also included silhouettes of players in motion, created using a special shading technique (marl shadow). This was a way of honoring the long history and core values of the Wimbledon championship.” She added that to celebrate the redesigned towels, the brand launched a CGI-led campaign, draping these iconic towels over the world’s landmark buildings.
As in previous years, the “eco-friendly towels (OEKO-TEX certified) were made with high-tech HygroCotton, a patented spinning technology that is ideal for sports towels.” Ackroyd noted, “It increases absorbency and wicks away water quickly.”
Interestingly, Goenka revealed that the number of players’ towels returned at the end of the tournament decreases each year, as players often keep them as souvenirs.
For the first time this year, Christy created an heirloom collection by upcycling excess towels from previous championships into tote bags available for sale and jackets crafted in collaboration with a fashion designer. “The tote bags sold out in record time,” Goenka shared.
