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Wimbledon 2026: Jamie Murray answers your tennis questions

Question: What is the maximum size of a tennis racquet? James in Dorset and David in Llanwnog

Jamie: Most standard tennis racquets are 27 inches in length. Some players play with longer ones, so a quarter or a half-inch more. The most you are allowed is 29 inches, but I don’t know anyone who gets near that!

Question: Does the heat affect the tennis balls? Richard in Purley

Jamie: I think it does, yes. It makes them travel faster through the air and they probably will be livelier off the bounce, because the surface will be reactive. It definitely helps them to fly quicker through the air when it’s hot.

Question: What are the players looking for when checking tennis balls at each serve? Margaret in Kent

Jamie: All players will take three or four balls to choose from before serving. The reason they do that is they are trying to find the newest, smoothest ball, because it will fly quicker through the air, which will help them with their serve and with trying to get more free points.

Question: What do the pros do with last year’s tennis bag, and are their tennis shoes custom-made? If so, do they get more width around the toes? Gordon in Newcastle

Jamie: I think most players take their bags home after Grand Slams, and either give them away or they get stored. With shoes, I don’t think players get them custom made, I think footwear brands just make standard shoes and hope that the players like them.

Question: Jamie Murray would wear sunglasses during doubles matches. Are all players allowed to wear them? Hilary in Leighton Buzzard

Question: Why don’t professional tennis players wear sunglasses? Jane in Wedmore, Rona in Helensburg, Alec in Leeds and Jill in Hampshire

Jamie: I don’t know why professional tennis players tend not to wear them. I wore them for 13 years of my career, to protect my eyes and help with all the glare in the sunny conditions we play in, particularly across Australia and the United States. The lens quality from the companies is so good these days – I don’t understand why more players don’t use them!

Question: Do the players use sunscreen, because I don’t see them putting on? Richard in Plymouth and Jane in Northampton

Jamie: All players wear sunscreen, but they would apply it in the locker rooms before going out. They would never apply it as they walk on to court. Firstly, because they would just immediately sweat it off, and secondly because it would make their hands really slippy. Most players would then wear a cap so they don’t have to apply sun screen to their forehead, which would be problematic if it dripped in their eyes.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.

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