In today's blog we're taking a look at six fun facts that you might not have known about the world's favourite tennis tournament. From future kings to Scottish tennis superstars, the courts of Wimbledon have some stories to tell. Read on to find out more.
Wimbledon, also known as The Championships, is one of the four major Grand Slam tennis tournaments, alongside the French Open, the Australian Open, and the US Open. It is the oldest and is widely regarded as the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Held annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, the tournament draws millions of viewers from across the globe and inspires people to pick up a racquet and give tennis a try.
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Wimbledon Was First Established for Croquet
Highlights from the history of The All England Club and The Championships (Source: Wimbledon.com)
In 1868, the All-England Club was originally established for playing croquet. The following year, it relocated to its first permanent site, spanning four acres of leased meadowland on Worple Road, Wimbledon. By 1875, one of the lawns was dedicated to the new game of lawn tennis, which swiftly surpassed croquet in popularity. Just two years later in 1877, the Club held the inaugural Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship.
The initial Wimbledon Championships looked very different from the event we know today. It featured a makeshift stand with seating for thirty spectators and a final match drawing an audience of just 200 people.
In 1877, the first Championship consisted of just the men's singles tournament, won by Spencer Gore, a local from Wimbledon. Interestingly, Gore reportedly favoured cricket over lawn tennis and doubted the new game's lasting appeal.
They Don't Play 'Real Tennis' at Wimbledon
Highlights from the history of The All England Club and The Championships (Source: Wimbledon.com)
The game most of us know as Tennis is technically called 'Lawn Tennis'. 'Real Tennis' is actually recognised as a separate game with a very different court and rulebook. Both forms of tennis can trace their origins back to a game known as 'jeu de paume' or 'game of the palm' which was popular in 12th century France.
The original French game was only played with the palm of the hand, hence the name. It wasn't until the 16th century when racquets were introduced, and it started to be known as 'Tennis'. Over the following two centuries, rules and codes were developed as it spread in popularity through France and England. King Henry VII was even a notable enthusiast. This is the game recognised now as 'Real Tennis' or 'Royal Tennis'. It is played in a rectangular court with 4 solid walls, asymmetric court lines and a dyed concrete or flagstone floor.
The creation of 'Lawn Tennis' is credited to Harry Gem and Augurio Perera in the mid 1800s. It was based on an experiment to play tennis at home, or at Edgbaston Archery Society, where they were members. In 1875, the first official code for Lawn Tennis was published and it became the foundations for the rules used at the first Wimbledon Championships in 1877.
The First Ladies Wimbledon Championships Was Formed in 1884
The First Ladies' Championships Introduced in 1884 (Source: Wimbledon.com)
The rapid growth in popularity of Lawn Tennis across Europe was partly down to accessibility. Men and Women could play a game with equal skill and enjoyment, so the inclusion of women at Wimbledon became inevitable. The All-England Club had politely declined several requests to include a women's singles event before finally giving in in 1884. However, the women's championships weren’t allowed to start until the men's singles had concluded.
The participation fee for women was 10 shillings and sixpence, exactly half of what the men were charged. First prize was a silver flower basket valued at 20 guineas and it drew 13 entrants, including sisters Maud and Lilian Watson. It was these sisters who reached the final, with 19-year-old Maud Watson winning in three sets. Wimbledon's inaugural women's champion proved her victory was no fluke by winning again in 1885.
These days, the men's and women's competitions are run concurrently. Tennis is also one of the few sports which includes co-ed team competition. In 2007, the All England Club resolved to grant equal pay to male and female competitors, at all stages of the tournament.
Wimbledon Hosted Its First Olympic Games in 1908
Wimbledon served as the tennis venue for the 1908 Summer Olympics, which were held in London. Unfortunately, tennis was dropped from the games after 1924 until it was finally reintroduced at the Seoul Games in 1988.
In contrast to contemporary Olympiads, the 1908 Games spanned six months and featured both indoor and outdoor tennis competitions. At the 1908 games, ten countries were represented with a total of 50 competitors, including 10 women. For 5 of the countries it was their debut appearance in the sport at the Olympics.
Olympic tennis returned to Wimbledon 104 years later in 2012, when Andy Murray won Gold in the men's singles competition.
Wimbledon Hosted a Future King
The Duke of York, who would later become King George VI, competed at Wimbledon 1926. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The Jubilee Championships of 1926 was a very royal occasion. King George V and Queen Mary awarded commemorative medals to 34 of Wimbledon's surviving champions. Their son, the Duke of York (who would later become King George VI), also participated in the men's doubles with his equerry, Wing Commander Louis Greig. Their first-round match was an unusual event, as they faced a duo with a combined age of 110 years!
On this occasion, experience prevailed as Arthur Gore (58) and future Davis Cup Captain, H. Roger Barrett (52) won in straight sets, despite the future king's reputedly hard serve and the younger pair's age advantage. To date, this is the only occasion a member of the royal family has competed at Wimbledon.
77 years between British Wimbledon Champions
"A British man wins Wimbledon,." In 2013, Andy Murray became the first British champion at Wimbledon in 77 years since Fred Perry in 1936 (Source: Wimbledon.com
We all know that Andy Murray has won Wimbledon not once, but twice! However, did you know that he was the first Brit to win the tournament in 77 years?
"A British man wins Wimbledon." This sentence, waited for 77 years, was finally spoken on the seventh day of the seventh month when Andy Murray became the first British champion at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.
One year after his defeat to Roger Federer in his initial Wimbledon final, Murray returned to the All-England Club's final stage in 2013, determined to triumph over Novak Djokovic. It marked the fourth Grand Slam final encounter between the pair, born just a week apart in May 1987, with Djokovic having won two of the previous three. However, the world No. 1 found himself unable to deny Murray's destiny.
Article first published in June 2024, last updated June 2026.
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