Wimbledon’s green-and-purple towels have grown a cult following and amongst Tennis fans are as recognisable as Centre Court itself. But these sought-after souvenirs draped over the shoulders of champions are actually made in Gujarat, India.
Every July, the world’s greatest tennis players walk onto Centre Court with similar items like their rackets, water bottles, and a pair of towels draped on their shoulders. These plush green and purple towels are as much a part of the Wimbledon tradition as are the all-white uniforms and the strawberry and cream.
Most spectators associate Wimbledon with specifically British culture, given Wimbledon’s deep-rooted English heritage. The reality of the game is actually far more global. Even these sought-after towels, which have their own cult following, are not as British as one might assume.
In actuality, for over 15 years, the official Wimbledon towels have been manufactured in Vapi, Gujarat. Christy, a historic British towel brand that had been responsible for manufacturing the Wimbledon towels since the 1900s, was actually acquired by Welspun Living about fifteen years ago. Thus, under one of the largest home textile companies, the weaving, dyeing, and finishing of the towels happen despite them carrying the Christy name.
Christy’s Victorian Roots
Christy was founded in 1850 in England and managed to quickly become one of the best companies for producing luxurious cotton towels. The company’s towels became particularly famous due to their pioneering method of introducing the modern loop-pile towel inspired by Turkish weaving techniques, at the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Over the next century, Christy became synonymous with luxury British textiles, with its products finding homes in the British royal household and luxe hotels. Eventually, it was introduced to one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.
Christy’s partnership with Wimbledon began in 1987, and since then, the towels have evolved into one of the Championships’ most recognisable symbols.
The Evolving Indian Connection
Although initially manufactured in Greater Manchester, Britain, things changed in 2006, when Indian textile giant Welspun acquired Christy.
Rather than retiring the heritage British brand, Welspun chose to preserve its identity while combining it with India’s large-scale manufacturing expertise. Though initially Welspun continued production in England for a few years, it gradually moved to Welspun’s advanced facilities in Gujarat around 2010. Since then, every official Wimbledon towel used on Centre Court has been woven in India before making its journey to the lush courts of Wimbledon in London. While Christy’s British design heritage has been retained, the towels are now manufactured in India, combining British tradition with Indian craftsmanship and manufacturing expertise.
From Gujarat to Centre Court
For fifteen years now, the towels have been manufactured at Welspun’s terry towel facility in Vapi, a major textile hub in southern Gujarat. However, manufacturing these legendary towels is anything but simple.
Each year’s collection begins nearly 18 months before the tournament. The first step usually involves designers researching fashion trends, seasonal colours, etc., to decide the visual theme of the upcoming tournament. Even though the colours of the men’s towels remain the same, the colours for the women's towels change every season, with red and white being last season’s colours.
In manufacturing these Wimbledon symbols, the objective isn’t merely to produce a towel but rather to create something iconic and elegant that can not only reflect Wimbledon’s tradition but also withstand the demands of elite tennis players.
Once the design is approved, production begins through a meticulous manufacturing process where each towel takes roughly seven days to finish, from yarn preparation to the final product. Unlike printed towels, Wimbledon towels use yarn-dyed jacquard weaving, where differently coloured yarns are woven directly into the fabric. This technique ensures the iconic patterns remain vibrant on both sides while improving durability compared to surface printing. This technique also ensures that the towel doesn’t lose its quality with washes and usage.
Moreover, professional tennis players use these towels dozens of times during long matches, which makes it important to ensure the towel’s absorbency beyond just maintaining its appearance. As a result, Wimbledon towels use HygroCotton, a Christy-patented spinning technology that creates hollow cotton fibres. This makes the towel not only softer with repeated washing but also offers improved moisture absorption and faster drying compared with conventional cotton towels. For athletes competing under intense summer conditions, even such small adjustments that seem irrelevant to the common eye become essential for offering peak performance.
Lastly, one of Wimbledon’s strongest traditions is its visual consistency. The men’s towels traditionally always feature the tournament’s signature combination of dark green, royal purple, and gold. Since these colours are usually associated with the All England Club, they remain mostly consistent in the men’s towels. However, women’s towels have more room for visual creativity.
Every year they receive a fresh seasonal colour palette, allowing designers to introduce contemporary shades while maintaining the traditional Wimbledon identity. Furthermore, these colour changes also make them coveted collector items for fans around the world.
More Than Just a Piece of Fabric
Few sporting accessories enjoy the same cultural status as Wimbledon’s towels. One of the best running jokes in Wimbledon is actually about the missing towels. Although players are technically expected to return them after matches, Christy reported that they get maybe 15% of them back while the rest are usually either taken by the players, thrown into the crowds or gifted to the ball boys.
Over the years, countless iconic photographs have featured champions wrapped in Christy towels moments after winning Grand Slam titles, or shoving them in their gear bags, helping transform them into collectables in their own right.
A Quiet Success Story
Unlike luxury watches or clothes worn by champions, these towels rarely make headlines despite being a core part of the beloved sport. These towels travel thousands of miles to become memorable parts of the event and offer a broader shift in global manufacturing. The partnership between Welspun and Christy showcases how Indian manufacturers are increasingly getting involved in producing luxury items and contributing to the world’s heritage. The Wimbledon towel serves as a symbol of today’s interconnected world and how, in today’s world, heritage is often a result of international partnership.
So the next time you watch a Wimbledon final and see a player reach for that famous green-and-purple towel, you’ll know where it came from and the incredible amount of labour it took to make it.
References:
- The Indian Express – All about iconic green and purple Made in India Wimbledon towels (2024) https://indianexpress.com
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com
- https://sports.ndtv.com
- https://www.indiatoday.in
- https://theprint.in