Wimbledon and history

This is where the world's oldest tennis tournament was born in 1877. The immaculate grass courts at Church Road have hosted Wimbledon Championships for over a century, making this corner of southwest England the most revered venue in tennis. The All England Club started as a croquet club in 1868. When lawn tennis emerged as a new sport, the club added courts in 1876 and organized its first championship to raise funds for a broken roller.

Only 22 men entered that inaugural tournament, paying entry fees while 200 spectators watched Spencer Gore become the first champion. Women were excluded until 1884 when Maud Watson won the first Ladies' Singles title. The tournament remained British dominated until 1905, when American May Sutton became the first overseas champion, breaking the home nation's monopoly. The current grounds opened in 1922 after outgrowing the original Worple Road site.

During World War II, a German bomb hit Centre Court in October 1940, destroying 1,200 seats. The tournament shut down from 1940 to 1945 but reopened when peace returned. Wimbledon stands alone as the only Grand Slam still played on grass. Roger Federer holds the men's record with 8 titles, while Martina Navratilova claimed 9 women's singles championships between 1978 and 1990.