Wimbledon Championships, held each year since 1877 at the All England Club in London, England, is the world’s oldest tennis tournament. The first Wimbledon Championship was held on July 9, 1877, with only one event: the Gentleman’s Singles. Spencer Gore triumphed over a field of 22 competitors. The Wimbledon Championship is made up of five main events, five invitational events, and five junior events. The main court, known as Centre Court, can hold 15,000 spectators, and the Royal Box, located at the south end, is reserved for dignitaries and the Royal Family. In case of rain, a retractable roof was installed prior to the 2009 Championship.
Seven years after Spencer Gore won the first event, women’s singles and men’s doubles were introduced at Wimbledon in 1884.
May Sutton, an American competitor, won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon in 1905. She became Wimbledon’s first non-European champion.
Wimbledon is the only Major tennis tournament that is still played on grass.
Wimbledon is Europe’s largest single annual sporting event in terms of catering. There are approximately 207,000 meals served, 135,000 ice cream cones, 30,000 litres of milk, and 25,000 bottles of champagne.
During WWII, a bomb ripped through the Centre Court, destroying 1200 seats. Nobody was present at the time, but it took until 1949 for the court to be restored to its former glory.
Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win the Wimbledon singles title in 1957. She was an American, and she defended her title a year later, helping her to be named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year both years.
Wimbledon currently has 20 courts available for use.
Chris Evert Lloyd was the last married woman to win the Wimbledon women’s singles. She was victorious in 1981.
Wimbledon last saw the use of a wooden tennis racket in 1987.
Venus Williams has the fastest serve in the world, clocking in at 129 miles per hour.
In 2010, 18,000 keyrings containing miniature tennis balls were sold. It was the best-selling item in the gift shop that year.
Wimbledon is traditionally held on the first Monday in June, which falls between June 20th and June 26th each year.
Wimbledon was halted from 1915 to 1918 due to World War I, and again from 1940 to 1945 due to World War II.
Wimbledon’s first Ladies’ Double was won by Winifred McNair and Dora Boothby.
Wimbledon’s first Mixed Doubles champions were Hope Crisp and Agnes Tuckey.
Renshaw, J.E., and W.C. Wimbledon’s first Gentlemen’s Double was won by Renshaw.
Billy Jean King and Martina Navratilova share the record with 20 Wimbledon titles.
The Women Singles can be won a maximum of nine times by a competitor. Martina Navratilova has nine titles to her name.
Martina Hingis won her first Wimbledon title in 1996 at the age of 15 years and 282 days. This was the youngest winner of a Wimbledon title.
Clothing must be submitted to Wimbledon prior to use to ensure that it complies with dress codes.
