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The Championships, Wimbledon

The Championships, Wimbledon
Wimbledon.svg
Official website
Founded 1877; 140 years ago (1877)
Editions 130 (2016)
Location London
England, United Kingdom
Venue The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Surface Grass outdoors
Prize money £28,100,000 (2016)
Men's
Draw 128S (128Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions Andy Murray (singles)
Pierre-Hugues Herbert / Nicolas Mahut (doubles)
Most singles titles William Renshaw (7)
Pete Sampras (7)
Roger Federer (7)
Most doubles titles Todd Woodbridge (9)
Women's
Draw 128S (96Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions Serena Williams (singles)
Serena Williams / Venus Williams (doubles)
Most singles titles Martina Navratilova (9)
Most doubles titles Elizabeth Ryan (12)
Mixed Doubles
Draw 48
Current champions Heather Watson / Henri Kontinen
Most titles (male) Ken Fletcher (4)
Vic Seixas (4)
Owen Davidson (4)
Leander Paes (4)
Most titles (female) Elizabeth Ryan (7)
Grand Slam
Last Completed
2016 Wimbledon

The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and is widely considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877 and is played on outdoor grass courts.

Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the others being the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. Since the Australian Open shifted to hardcourt in 1988, Wimbledon is the only major still played on grass.

The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled for the second Saturday and Sunday of July respectively. Five major, junior, and invitational events are held each year. Wimbledon traditions include a strict dress code for competitors and Royal patronage. The tournament is also notable for the absence of sponsor advertising around the courts. In 2009, Wimbledon's Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to lessen the loss of playing time due to rain.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a private club founded on 23 July 1868, originally as "The All England Croquet Club". Its first ground was off Worple Road, Wimbledon.

In 1876, lawn tennis, a game devised by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield a year or so earlier and originally given the name Sphairistikè, was added to the activities of the club. In spring 1877, the club was renamed "The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club" and signalled its change of name by instituting the first Lawn Tennis Championship. A new code of laws, replacing the code administered by the Marylebone Cricket Club, was drawn up for the event. Today's rules are similar except for details such as the height of the net and posts and the distance of the service line from the net.


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Wikipedia

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