No. 1 Court (Wimbledon)
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| Location |
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Wimbledon, London, SW19 |
|---|---|
| Public transit |
 Southfields
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| Owner | AELTC |
| Capacity | 11,360 seats |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Tenants | |
| Wimbledon Championships | |
The No. 1 Court is a tennis court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, London. Opened in 1997, it is used for the Wimbledon Championships and is sometimes chosen for Great Britain Davis Cup home ties, the primary Centre Court being preserved solely for the Grand Slam tennis tournament (and the 2012 Olympic Games). With a spectator capacity of 11,360 it replaced the now-demolished former No. 1 Court which had stood at the west side of Centre Court since 1924 with a spectator capacity of 7,328. The old court was replaced by the Millennium Building, the media centre and facilities for players, members, and officials.
The original No. 1 Court was built in 1924 and was attached to the west side of Centre Court. Originally it had a capacity of about 3,250 (2,500 seats and approximately 750 standing) which was increased over the years to 7,328 It was smaller than the current No. 1 Court and was said to have had a unique, more intimate atmosphere and was a favourite of many players.
The Wightman Cup, an annual team tennis competition for women contested between teams from the United States and Great Britain was held on Court No 1 from 1946 to 1972.
The old court was replaced in 1997 by the current No. 1 Court situated to the north of Centre Court in Aorangi Park. The old No. 1 Court was demolished because its capacity for spectators was too low. The site of the old court is now occupied by the Millennium Building, the media centre, and facilities for players, members, and officials.
The current No. 1 Court in Aorangi Park was built in 1997, with a spectator capacity of 11,432. It was opened on 23 June 1997 and as part of the opening ceremony a salver was presented to 10 former champions who had won at least three singles titles.The first match played on the new court was between Tim Henman and Daniel Nestor.
In April 2013, the All England Club confirmed its intention to build a retractable roof over No.1 Court. The roof is expected to be in place for the 2019 Championships.
Sources
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Wikipedia