Wimbledon, which is the third Grand Slam of the season, has a particularly long history with amazing traditions. I previously wrote about the French Open, which also has a rich history. One very important fact about Wimbledon should be immediately highlighted.
The tournament, which will be held this year for the 147th time on the courts of the All England Club, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. This tournament is the crown jewel of the grass court season, which is much shorter than the tournament season on other surfaces.
History of Wimbledon
Wimbledon was held for the first time in 1877. The tournament is usually held during the summer, begins in late June and ends in July. The winner of the first Wimbledon was Spencer Gore, which ended up being his only title in London. In the final, he defeated William Marshall, to whom he conceded only seven games.
Only 22 players participated in the first edition of Wimbledon. Historically, players have been known to serve & volley on grass because the ball bounces low on grass. Spencer Gore is considered the originator of the volley game in tennis.
Women made their Wimbledon debut seven years later than their male counterparts.
For several decades, until 1922, the Wimbledon defending champion would play only the final and wait for the challenger.
Another interesting fact about Wimbledon is that tennis professionals waited over 90 years to play because, until 1968, only amateur players had the right to play at Wimbledon on the All England Club courts.
Very Strict Dress Code
While other tournaments do not a strict dress code, Wimbledon requires that players wear white clothing. In addition to white, players are allowed to have one color around the neckline or sleeves, but the diameter of that color must not exceed 1 centimeter.
Credit: ©AELTC/Joel Marklund
Additionally, there may not be any color other than white on the back of a player’s top. As for shorts and skirts, the presence of one additional color is allowed provided the color does not exceed 1 centimeter.
The same rule applies to hats, headbands, socks – all of them must be white except for a single trim of color no wider than 1 centimeter. Shoes must also be completely white. Shoelaces must be entirely white.
The underwear requirement has been controversial and was just updated for this year’s Wimbledon. Previously, women and men also had to wear white underwear. Female players protested that this was unfair for players having their period. Wimbledon agreed and, starting this year, women are allowed to wear dark-colored underwear. The new rule 9 states:
“Any undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre (10mm), except female players who are allowed to wear solid, mid/dark-coloured undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt.”
Courts and Grass Features
The Wimbledon grounds, which are owned by The All England Law Tennis & Croquet Club Limited, can accommodate over 40,000 fans. Players compete on 18 courts during Wimbledon, and within the tennis complex there are another 20 grass courts for training as well as 8 courts with American clay.
The largest court, Center Court, can accommodate almost 15,000 fans. Since this Grand Slam is held in London, where it often rains, a retractable roof was introduced in 2009 so that play can continue in the rain.
It only takes 20 minutes to close and it can also be used in cases of extreme heat. In addition to the Center Court, court number 1 can also seat a large number of fans and it also got a retractable roof 4 years ago.
Credit: ©AELTC/Thomas Lovelock
The height of the grass at Wimbledon is 8mm because experts have estimated that this height is optimal for the game. During the tournament, the grass is cut each day.
For more than two decades, the All England Club courts have used 100% Perennial Ryegrass to improve the durability of the court. Even with this durable grass, by the end of the tournament, there are many spots, particularly around the baseline, that are worn down and don’t have much grass.
Weather conditions have an important influence on the speed of the court. The ball will be slower if it rained on a particular day, while its speed will be faster if it is a clear and sunny day.
The soil beneath the grass is also very important. It must be hard and dry to prevent damage to the grass. The soil also largely determines how high the ball bounces.
It takes 15 months to prepare the courts for the exacting standards required by Wimbledon. The Wimbledon website has a lot more information about this process.
Strawberries And Cream -Wimbledon’s Signature Dessert
Not every tournament has a signature dessert. Wimbledon does, and it is strawberries with whipped cream. Every year fans eat about 200,000 portions of this dessert, which costs £2.5 pounds. The history of this famous treat at Wimbledon is interesting.
It is believed that this delicacy was first brought to Wimbledon by King George V of England at the beginning of the last century. The reason is simple, strawberries were the only fruit available at the time and were considered a real treat, just as they are today.
According to another story, King Henry VIII ate this delicacy when he was visiting Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, whose house was ten miles from Wimbledon. The king was delighted and then everyone began to enjoy the strawberries and cream.
The British Waited Almost Eight Decades to Win Wimbledon
Although this tournament has been held in London, England for almost 150 years, the British have not often won the title at Wimbledon. After Fred Perry won the title in 1936, 77 years passed until another Brit won the title. Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the 2013 Wimbledon final.
He repeated that achievement three years later when he also defeated Milo Raonic in three sets. In the women’s competition, a British woman last won the title in 1977 when Virginia Wade defeated Chris Evert.
The Dominance of Federer and Navratilova
The most titles ever at Wimbledon were won by Roger Federer, who was champion eight times. Federer, from Switzerland, has become a symbol of this tournament. Federer last played in the final in 2019 when he was defeated by Novak Djokovic, although he was only one point away from the title.
In the fifth set with the score 8-7 and 40-15 for Federer, Novak managed to save both match points before eventually emerging victorious. It took Djokovic 4 hours and 57 minutes to win 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12, which is the longest final in Wimbledon history.
Djokovic, like the legendary Pete Sampras, currently has seven Wimbledon titles, and will be aiming for this 8th title at this year’s Wimbledon. On the women’s side, Martina Navratilova hold the record with nine Wimbledon titles.
The Longest Tennis Match Ever
The longest match in the history of tennis was played at Wimbledon. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played in a first-round match at the 2010 Wimbledon. The match, which lasted an epic 11 hours and give minutes, was played over a three-day period. The third set lasted eight hours and 11 minutes. Isner eventually emerged victorious with a final score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68.
This record will likely never be broken, at least at a Grand Slam, due to a recent rule change. Previously, the 5th set did not have a tiebreaker and had to be won by 2 games. This is how the 5th set in the Isner-Mahut match lasted an extraordinary 138 games, with Isner winning the set 70-68.
Last year, the four Grand Slam tournaments jointly announced that they were introducing a 5th set 10-point tiebreaker if the set reaches 6-6.
