Wimbledon: A Quick History

Tradition. Wimbledon Whites. Grass Stains. Strawberries & Cream. These are the first few words that come to mind when I think about The All England Lawn Tennis Championships, otherwise known as Wimbledon. It is the third major of the year and the oldest tennis tournament with the first championship held was on July 9th, 1877. Seven years later, the ladies singles and gentlemen’s doubles made its debut. The ladies doubles and mixed doubles were not featured for another 36 years. The championship moved its location to Church Road in 1922 and has since remained the same, even surviving the WWII bombings. It turns out, until 1922, the previous champion received a bye all the way to the final! I bet Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova (2014 champion) would love if this rule still existed.

What do I mean by tradition? Here is an example: at Wimbledon, you MUST wear white. In fact, I think I’ll just let you read the rules.

FYI: White does not include off white or cream.

You might have noticed in Tennis Note #14, a college preview of Wimbledon action, and this note, instead of men or women, the notation is gentlemen and ladies. In fact, players are addressed at Mr, Mrs, or Miss. There is also a day of rest on the Sunday before the second week begins. Wimbledon takes pride in their BBGs (Ball Boys and Girls). Wimbledon also features a visit from the royal family, seen sitting in the royal box, every year. Finally, there is the tradition of the queue, something I would love to experience. Several traditions took years to break. Here’s a list:

Equal Prize Money between men and women — 2007

Women allowed to play without a corset — 1920

Men allowed to play in shorts — 1930s

First African-American player invited to Wimbledon — 1951

Yellow Tennis Balls allowed — 1986

Of course, this year the headline is pretty funny…

Finally, a few headlines you should know about Wimbledon if you are new to tennis, because you are bound to hear them over and over again:

Roger Federer has won 7 Wimbledon titles (tied with Pete Sampras)

John Isner d. Nicholas Mahut in the longest match in the history of tennis (See Tennis Note #1)

Andy Murray ended a 77 year British drought on 7/7/2013 when he won Wimbledon.

Serena Williams has won 5 Wimbledon titles and if she wins this year, she wins four consecutive majors.

Gentlemen’s Singles

The First Half of the Draw