WIMBLEDON, England ? As synonymous with Wimbledon as strawberries and cream, rain delays on Centre Court soon will be a tradition consigned to the past. Finally, after years of dithering, the All England Club announced Tuesday it planned to build a retractable roof.

Players and spectators still will have to endure rain delays for several more years, however. The club needs to get planning permission, work will not start for two years, and the roof will not be in place until 2009.

It is the second recent departure from tradition at Wimbledon: Last year, the All England Club abandoned the custom of players curtsying or bowing to the Royal Box.

But the planned roof is generally considered a good idea.

“I am a traditionalist. I love Wimbledon for what it has always been and will always be to me,” three-time champion Boris Becker said. “But I cannot be blind to the future. How can tennis survive if it has eight hours of live television space to fill and nothing is happening?”

Covering Centre Court probably will not help the tournament as a whole, because 19 other courts will remain uncovered. There are 650 matches played during the two weeks of Wimbledon, which this year runs from June 21 to July 4.

“When it does rain, it’s very frustrating for everyone,” All England Club chairman Tim Phillips said. “We have been mindful of this issue for a number of years, but we are very confident the unique Centre Court atmosphere will be maintained with the roof.”

The club would consider covering Court One if things go well on Centre Court, Phillips said.

The roof is designed by HOK Architects, responsible for building stadiums around the world, including baseball stadiums in cities such as Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

Wimbledon chairman Tim Phillips, left, and architect Rod Sheardon stand on Centre Court at the All England Club at Wimbledon. Plans were unveiled Tuesday for a retractable roof that will cover Centre Court.