The History of Wimbledon

The most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event not to have a fixed date, commencing six weeks before the first Monday in August.

The tournament lasts for a fortnight, or for as long as necessary to complete all events.

Today, Wimbledon boasts the most talented players in the world and annual attendances of over 450,000 people.

But it is not just the calibre of players which makes the Wimbledon Championships so special, but also their rich history. For a professional tennis player, winning Wimbledon is the pinnacle of any career.

The first Wimbledon event was staged in 1877 by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, to raise money for a new roller. The competition had only 22 male participants.

It wasn't until 1884 that the Ladies' Singles and Men's Doubles was introduced.

The game's first superstars were British twins Ernest and William Renshaw. Together the "Renshaw Rush", either separately or as Doubles partners, won 13 titles between 1881 and 1889.

The event achieved global status in 1905, when May Sutton of the United States became the first overseas winner, claiming the Ladies' Singles title.

Two years later, Norman Brookes of Australia became the first Men's Singles champion from overseas.

Brookes' win would change Wimbledon forever. Only two other British men would win the championship again - Arthur Gore and Fred Perry.

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