New Delhi: If there is something Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have in common besides their love for tennis, it’s the Wimbledon towels. And surprisingly, there is an Indian connection here. The iconic towels are not manufactured in the UK, but Gujarat.
Since 1987, British heritage brand Christy has been making the official Wimbledon towels, which now also serve as souvenirs for many tennis legends.
The brand, founded back in 1850, is known for weaving the “softest bath towels the world has ever seen”. But its association with Wimbledon began over a century later. The iconic towels were initially manufactured in Greater Manchester, England. However, in 2006, Indian textile company Welspun Living Limited acquired Christy. And, four years later, the manufacturing moved to plants in Gujarat’s Vapi and Anjar, which have since been making the iconic towels. The new manufacturing plants “ensured that the towels maintained their luxurious and timeless qualities while providing a fresh perspective”.
While tennis players get the towels before the match, others can get their hands on them through the official website of Christy. The brand sells the official Wimbledon Championship towel for £40, Wimbledon guest towels for £18, and face cloth pack for £12, among other items.
A sought-after souvenir
According to Welspun, each year, they introduce a new colour in addition to the official championship colours. While men always get towels with the official colourway — dark green, purple, and gold — women players get the fresh colours launched every year. For 2026, the colour scheme was red and white.
“The design possesses strength and simplicity, ensuring it looks impressive yet distinctive even from a distance, while the colours must exude brilliance both on the court and when captured by the camera,” Welspun says on its website.
According to Christy, Wimbledon players are asked to return the towels after the match. But still about 2,500 towels go missing — mostly thrown into the crowd by tennis legends, handed to ball boys and girls, or slipped into bags. Only about 15 per cent official Wimbledon towels are handed back each year. “It is, in the most genuine sense, the highest compliment a product can receive,” says Christy.