The Championships , Wimbledon are in full swing at London ’s All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club . In an clause that we first hunt down last July , Ethan Trex answers a few interrogative about the world ’s oldest tennis championship .
How long has Wimbledon been around?The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club hosted the first tournament in 1877 . There was only a men ’s hook that year , and Spencer Gore scoop a discipline of 22 players to win the first title . Two hundred watcher shelled out a Somalian shilling apiece to view Gore triumph in the finals . In 1884 the tourney expanded to include men ’s doubles and ladies ' singles . Maud Watson beat out twelve other women to claim the initiatory ladies ' title .
British actor dominated Wimbledon early in its life ; the first strange champion did n’t come along until American May Sutton bring home the bacon the ladies ' patronage in 1905 . Since then , though , things have n’t been quite so rose-cheeked . There has n’t been a British champion since Virginia Wade won the noblewoman ' draw in 1977 , and since then no other British player has even made the finals .
The professional lawn tennis version Wimbledon that we do it has really only been around since 1968 , though , since the arena was shut to professional person for 90 years . After decennium of amateur contest , Wimbledon first allowed professional players in 1968 , when Rod Laver and Billie Jean King won the ace ' titles .
Why are the player have on so much white ?
Another dress code controversy sprung up last year whenTatiana Golovintook the court . Although her getup was the prescribed Andrew Dickson White , she had on bright red underwear that showed on many shots . After a delay , the knickers were deemed short enough to be consider underclothes and not part of her genuine ensemble . American Anne White , on the other hand , did n’t get so lucky at the 1985 Championships . She start a match in a arresting all - lily-white lycra torso case . When the match was later stopped due to darkness , she was evidence to hold out more appropriate threads for the next daytime ; she lost the third hardening in her more traditional dud .
Who ’s been the most dominant at the Championships?Hard to say for the gentlemen , although there are a passel of great choices . Roger Federer is gunning for his sixth title of respect this year , which would put him one behind Pete Sampras ' record of seven career Wimbledon championships . Like Federer , Bjorn Borg won five straight title ( 1976 - 80 ) , and William Renshaw won six ( 1881 - 86 ) .
Things are a lot clearer on the noblewoman ' side : Martina Navaratilova have Wimbledon . Her nine singles titles are a record , as is her run of six directly between 1982 and 1987 . Even more impressively , Navratilova added another seven ladies double titles and four mixed two-base hit title of respect . She was also perpetual ; her net mixed doubles deed came in 2003 , when she was 46 years old . Only Billie Jean King , who had six singles deed of conveyance , 10 double up titles , and four mixed wins can match Navratilova ’s 20 coalesce Wimbledon championships .
What ’s the story on the trophies?The men ’s prize has been around since 1887 ; it ’s a eloquent gilt cup with pineapple on top . Its lettering is n’t hold out to win any points for humility : " The All England Lawn Tennis Club Champion of the World . “ Each gentleman ’s champion fix a 8 - inch replication of the 18 - inch prize as a souvenir of his win .
The victor of the gentlewoman ' I drawing card gets a sterling Ag salver , or 2-dimensional tray , that ’s known as the Venus Rosewater Dish . concord to Wimbledon ’s website , the prize , which has been present since 1886 , depict various view from mythology , including a magnanimous central figure of Temperance and an outer band of Minerva overleap the seven Liberal Arts . Ladies ' champions encounter a take - home replica of the Venus Rosewater Dish .
Of course , the champions do n’t just win this hardware ; they also get cash . This twelvemonth , both the single champions will pick up 850,000 pounds for their effort .
What are the words above the players ' entrance to Centre Court?Players take the judicature at the All England Club ’s most famous court beneath an excerpt from Rudyard Kipling ’s " If" that reads " If you could meet victory and disaster and cover those two impostors just the same” ¦ “
Do the players have to defer and curtsy to the Royal Box?Not always . Until 2003 , a convention ask player to bow down or curtsey to the royal family ’s box seat upon entering or lead Centre Court . In 2003 the principle was modified so that players only had to bow or curtsy if the Queen or Prince Charles pass to be making an appearance in the box that day . That opinion effectively meant no bowing or curtsying ; when the linguistic rule went into effect , the Queen and Prince Charles had n’t attended Wimbledon since 1977 and 1970 , respectively . Interestingly , the rule was the brainchild of the President of the United States of the All England Club , who just happened to also be a fellow member of the royal fellowship , Prince Edward , the Duke of Kent .
