Wimbledon is among the most well-known and renowned tennis tournaments in the world, if not the most respected. For anyone who doesn't follow tennis, it might be hard to discuss anything with any tennis-loving relatives or friends whenever the wraps fly off at the All England Club in June or July.
This article is a useful guide that will teach you everything you need to understand about Wimbledon in order to appear knowledgeable. Or at the very least, informed.
For the total Wimbledon newcomer, here's a quick rundown.
The Four Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments
The Grand Slams are the highly coveted rewards in tennis, with tournaments held throughout the year on a variety of surfaces as well as in a variety of nations. They are as follows:
- The Australian Open is a tournament held in Australia (hard court).
- The French Open is a tennis tournament held in France (clay court).
- Wimbledon is a tennis tournament that takes place in England (grass court).
- US Open Championships in the United States (hard court).
Wimbledon is known as a Grand Slam event in the tennis world. The event is one of four major competitions held each year. These 4 events mark the pinnacle of pro tennis, as they provide the maximum prize money and ranking points.
These Grand Slam tournaments take place in various nations and on various surfaces. The only major championship played on grass is Wimbledon, which takes place in London, England.
Wimbledon is often regarded as the most prestigious title in tennis, owing to its long track record, tradition, and ties to the sport's very beginnings.
The Background
The location Wimbledon (aka the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club) is not just about tennis, as its name suggests. In 1869, it was established solely for the purpose of croquet. Tennis grew in popularity quickly, and the inaugural tournament was staged 8 years afterwards, in July 1877.
A rented field on Wimbledon's Worple Road served as the venue for the first few years of the Championships until settling in its current location on Church Road in 1922. Many individuals worried that the new facility, which could hold 13,500 people when it started, would have been too huge and be an embarrassment. They were completely incorrect.
Wimbledon was the BBC's first live sports coverage when it launched in 1937, with 30 minutes of Centre Court play per day. Thousands of individuals in north London who lived near the transmitters and had access to a television tuned in.
Heroes from the hometown
Even though Wimbledon is seen as the archetypal British championship, the Gentlemen's Singles are unsuccessful when it comes to local players. Until Andy Murray won the All England Club championship in 2013, there was a 77-year title drought, dating back to Fred Perry's 1936 success.
Wimbledon as well as the other four "Majors" were exclusively open to novice players until 1968, with pro players barred from competing. The professional player movement into the main events was a defining event at the start of what became known as the “Open Era” of tennis. In order to reduce weather-related delays, a retractable cover was installed on Centre Court in 2009.
The Tournaments
It's all here, from Men's Singles through Ladies' Wheelchair Doubles. Although the first Wimbledon was held solely for males, today's Wimbledon has a variety of tournaments that cater to a wide range of participants. As of 2016, the following events have occurred:
- Disabled Doubles
- Boys’ Doubles
- Girls’ Doubles
- Boys’ Singles
- Gentlemen’s Singles
- Ladies’ Singles
- Girls’ Singles
- Gentlemen’s Doubles
- Mixed Doubles
- Ladies Doubles
There are 5 invitational events in addition to the normal tournaments. These are the following:
- Senior Gentlemen’s Invitational Doubles
- Gentlemen's Invitational Doubles
- Gentlemen’s Wheelchair Doubles
- Ladies’ Invitational Doubles
- Ladies’ Wheelchair Doubles
Now let us take a look at all the winners of Wimbledon Men's singles:
Year |
Winner |
2019 |
Novak Djokovic |
2018 |
Novak Djokovic |
2017 |
Roger Federer |
2016 |
Andy Murray |
2015 |
Novak Djokovic |
2014 |
Novak Djokovic |
2013 |
Andy Murray |
2012 |
Roger Federer |
2011 |
Novak Djokovic |
2010 |
Rafael Nadal |
2009 |
Roger Federer |
2008 |
Rafael Nadal |
2007 |
Roger Federer |
2006 |
Roger Federer |
2005 |
Roger Federer |
2004 |
Roger Federer |
2003 |
Roger Federer |
2002 |
Lleyton Hewitt |
2001 |
Goran Ivanišević |
2000 |
Pete Sampras |
1999 |
Pete Sampras |
1998 |
Pete Sampras |
1997 |
Pete Sampras |
1996 |
Richard Krajicek |
1995 |
Pete Sampras |
1994 |
Pete Sampras |
1993 |
Pete Sampras |
1992 |
Andre Agassi |
1991 |
Michael Stich |
1990 |
Stefan Edberg |
1989 |
Boris Becker |
1988 |
Stefan Edberg |
1987 |
Pat Cash |
1986 |
Boris Becker |
1985 |
Boris Becker |
1984 |
John McEnroe |
1983 |
John McEnroe |
1982 |
Jimmy Connors |
1981 |
John McEnroe |
1980 |
Björn Borg |
1979 |
Björn Borg |
1978 |
Björn Borg |
1977 |
Björn Borg |
1976 |
Björn Borg |
1975 |
Arthur Ashe |
1974 |
Jimmy Connors |
1973 |
Jan Kodeš |
1972 |
Stan Smith |
1971 |
John Newcombe |
1970 |
John Newcombe |
1969 |
Rod Laver |
1968 |
Rod Laver |
1967 |
John Newcombe |
1966 |
Manuel Santana |
1965 |
Roy Emerson |
1964 |
Roy Emerson |
1963 |
Chuck McKinley |
1962 |
Rod Laver |
1961 |
Rod Laver |
1960 |
Neale Fraser |
1959 |
Alex Olmedo |
1958 |
Ashley Cooper |
1957 |
Lew Hoad |
1956 |
Lew Hoad |
1955 |
Tony Trabert |
1954 |
Jaroslav Drobný |
1953 |
Vic Seixas |
1952 |
Frank Sedgman |
1951 |
Dick Savitt |
1950 |
Budge Patty |
1949 |
Ted Schroeder |
1948 |
Bob Falkenburg |
1947 |
Jack Kramer |
1946 |
Yvon Petra |
1940-1945 |
No Wimbledon due to World War 2 |
1939 |
Bobby Riggs |
1938 |
Don Budge |
1937 |
Don Budge |
1936 |
Fred Perry |
1935 |
Fred Perry |
1934 |
Fred Perry |
1933 |
Jack Crawford |
1932 |
Ellsworth Vines |
1931 |
Sidney Wood |
1930 |
Bill Tilden |
1929 |
Henri Cochet |
1928 |
René Lacoste |
1927 |
Henri Cochet |
1926 |
Jean Borotra |
1925 |
René Lacoste |
1924 |
Jean Borotra |
1923 |
Bill Johnston |
1922 |
Gerald Patterson |
1921 |
Bill Tilden |
1920 |
Bill Tilden |
1919 |
Gerald Patterson |
1915-1918 |
No Wimbledon due to World War 1 |
1914 |
Norman Brookes |
1913 |
Anthony Wilding |
1912 |
Anthony Wilding |
1911 |
Anthony Wilding |
1910 |
Anthony Wilding |
1909 |
Arthur Gore |
1908 |
Arthur Gore |
1907 |
Norman Brookes |
1906 |
Laurence Doherty |
1905 |
Laurence Doherty |
1904 |
Laurence Doherty |
1903 |
Laurence Doherty |
1902 |
Laurence Doherty |
1901 |
Arthur Gore |
1900 |
Reginald Doherty |
1899 |
Reginald Doherty |
1898 |
Reginald Doherty |
1897 |
Reginald Doherty |
1896 |
Harold Mahony |
1895 |
Wilfred Baddeley |
1894 |
Joshua Pim |
1893 |
Joshua Pim |
1892 |
Wilfred Baddeley |
1891 |
Wilfred Baddeley |
1890 |
Willoughby Hamilton |
1889 |
William Renshaw |
1888 |
Ernest Renshaw |
1887 |
Herbert Lawford |
1886 |
William Renshaw |
1885 |
William Renshaw |
1884 |
William Renshaw |
1883 |
William Renshaw |
1882 |
William Renshaw |
1881 |
William Renshaw |
1880 |
John Hartley |
1879 |
John Hartley |
1878 |
Frank Hadow |
1877 |
Spencer Gore |
Betting on Wimbledon
Tennis is a very popular sport all around the world, and with that popularity comes the opportunity to place a bet on it. Even if betting on tennis is considerably less complicated than betting on other sports. And Wimbledon betting is simple, and top legal sportsbooks provide a wide range of possibilities. At BritainBet you can find several guides and tips related to sports betting including tennis.