Wimbledon Tickets

Currently Andy Murray and Serena Williams are the reigning Wimbledon singles champions. With Andy Murray having the home court advantage, it’ll be interesting to see how the matches pan out this year.   

History

In the beginning, Wimbledon was a men’s only tournament. The inaugural Wimbledon Championship was held on 9 July 1877. It was won by Spencer Gore. Ladies’ singles were added in 1884. Since its inaugural tournament, the Championship has been held annually with the exception of 1915 – 1918 (World War I) and 1940 – 1945 (World War II). Wimbledon has always been played on outdoor grass courts.

What makes Wimbledon Special?

In addition to being the oldest tennis competition in the world, Wimbledon is also the only one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments still played on grass surface. It is also considered to be the most prestigious tennis tournament even when compared with the other championships US Open, French Open and the Australian Open. This is largely to do with the fact that Wimbledon honors its century old tradition, where a strict dress code is followed. Furthermore, unlike the other three Grand Slam tennis tournaments, Wimbledon enjoys the Royal patronage. Wimbledon tennis courts are not adorned with sponsorships and advertisements and tennis is still played in its traditional form.

What to expect at Wimbledon?

This annual tournament always takes place in late June and early July and lasts for a little more than two weeks. During this time, five major, junior and invitational events are held. Needless to say, spectators, fans and the media are most interested in the five main events, which are further divided into 128 singles matches between men, an equal number of matches between women, 48 mixed doubles matches, 64 ladies’ doubles matches with an equal number of men’s doubles matches.

All matches are played following the single-elimination format, which means that only the winner proceeds and the losing player does not get a second chance. Men’s singles and doubles are best-of-five sets. Ladies’ singles and doubles are best-of-three sets.

The Boys and Girls of Wimbledon

Also, known as BBG’s, these boys and girls play an integral role in the smooth running of the competition. And in case if you are wondering why they don’t get much air time, it is because good BBG’s are those who cannot be seen. Every year around 750 school children apply for the 250 coveted spots. The selected ones are then required to go through rigorous training to do their jobs.  

Wimbledon’s Most Iconic Moments

There are many and therefore only a few have been mentioned here:

When Arthur Ashe defeated Jimmy Connors in 1975. This has been labelled as the final that had everything.

When Leander Paes bowed before Martina Navratilova (Paes and Navratilova were doubles partners) in 2003.

The most historic tie-breaking game ever played in Wimbledon was in 1980. The contending players were John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.

One of the most memorable men’s singles final in Wimbledon was played in 1999 in which Pete Sampras won in straight sets.

The longest ever match in Wimbledon was played in 1969 between Charlie Pasarell and Richard “Pancho” Gonzales. The match lasted for five hours and 12 minutes and was played over two days.

Trophies and Prize money

The Men’s Singles champion gets a silver gilt cup and a three-quarter size replica of the Cup. The actually trophy remains with the All England Club in their museum. In addition, the champion also gets £2,000,000. The Ladies’ Singles champion gets a sterling silver salver, also known as the Rosewater Dish. Since the actual dish remains the property of the All England Club and stays in their museum, therefore, the champion gets a miniature replica of the dish. The prize money for the Ladies’ Singles champion is also £2,000,000.

Those who have seen Wimbledon matches in-person, describe it as an experience. To experience the oldest tennis tournament in the world, get Wimbledon tickets now.