For the last 18 months or so, life has more or less been on hold entirely. It is easy to see why, too, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives. However, things do not have to stay this way forever; with vaccination campaigns ramping up, solutions can be sought. Problems can be solved. Happiness and comfort can once again be found. However, for many of us, especially those who work within sport, the last 18 months has brought about a transformative change in day-to-day life.

The days of being able to simply head off to work and visit a sporting event were gone. For most of us, covering sport became a process of writing whilst watching on TV; and for any reporter, that is simply not how it is done. With the return of competitive sport and with the return of crowds, though, things are beginning to feel a whole lot more normalised than they did a few short months ago.

Indeed, this was covered perfectly with Wimbledon commentator Andrew Castle. A fine tennis player in his own right, Castle was spoken to regarding the feeling that having Wimbledon return to our TV sets, with crowds, was like.

Speaking about the amazing opportunity, Castle said to Betway: “It’s just unbelievable to be back. I was sitting next to John McEnroe on the first day and he was just delighted, too. Even off-mic, he was saying how wonderful it is.”

Things are getting back to normal, as Wimbledon showed

Sitting watching the tennis this summer, you no doubt noticed the large crowds gathered, free from mask wearing and social distancing. For most of us, it was an odd sight – for others, though, it felt like a return to life as it should be, and as we once knew it. Things have changed in the last year or so, and may have changed permanently. One thing that will never change, though, is the thrill of a sporting event complete with a happy, passionate crowd.

And at Wimbledon, we got to see that first-hand. It was a mesmerising experience that reminded us all how much an athlete thrives from the crowd. Go back to the crowdless matches and events held in 2020, and compare the focus, passion, and intensity on the court to what you had seen at Wimbledon 2021. It simply cannot be compared – with a crowd, players and teams try harder, do more, and put in the effort as much as possible.

The crowd drives the passion of the match, which ups the stakes and makes the players try even harder. This virtuous cycle creates an experience whereby one can sit back, enjoy the show, and see something truly spectacular come to life in front of us.

2020 reminded us that sport, without fans, means a fraction of what it does when an audience gets involved. Now, after seeing Wimbledon so full and the likes of Andrew Castle so full of life, it’s hard to imagine ever going back to the soulless, crowd-free events of 2020.