Wimbledon, also known as The Championships, Wimbledon; is the oldest tennis tournament as well as the most prestigious one in the world. Wimbledon is held in late June and early July every year at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London suburb of Wimbledon. Since its inception in 1877, Wimbledon has grown from a garden-party tournament to one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, with millions of followers around the world.
It is the only tournament which is played on the game’s original surface, grass, and this is what gave the game of lawn tennis its name. Similar to other Grand Slams, there are men’s and women’s singles competitions, men’s and women’s doubles, mixed doubles, juniors, wheelchair, legends and exhibition matches. Eating strawberries and cream, drinking Pimms spritzers, royal patronage and a strict dress code involving whites are some of the Wimbledon traditions.
In 2009, the Center Court of Wimbledon was fitted with a retractable roof, which ensures that the match goes on even during rains. This roof was used for the first time at a special event on 17 May in presence of a capacity crowd of 15,000. Legends like Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters played under the covered roof for the first time.
Wimbledon Facts –
Venue - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon
Surface – Grass/ Outdoor
Official Ball – Slazenger
Gentlemen’s Singles – 128 players
Ladies’ Singles – 128 players
Gentlemen’s Doubles – 64 pairs
Ladies’ Doubles – 64 pairs
Mixed Doubles – 48 pairs
Trophies –
Ladies’ Singles
Venus Rosewater Dish
Silver Cups are presented to the winner’s of Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events.
Courts – There are 19 courts used in Wimbledon, made purely of rye grass, with Centre Court and Court 1 being the main ones.
Club – Besides holding Championships, this is a club with 375 full members and a number of honorary members.
Grass renovation of the Centre Court and Court No.1 starts immediately after the Championships end and the renovation for the rest of the courts start in August or September. After the Championships get over, around 750 tonnes of waste is recovered which is then recycled by the Materials Reclamation Facility (MRF).
In 2009, Roger Federer won the men’s singles title whereas Serena Williams won the women’s singles title. Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic won the men’s doubles title; Venus and Serena Williams won the women’s doubles title; Mark Knowles and Anna-Lena Gronefeld won the mixed doubles title.