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In the 1960s, those in charge of Wimbledon faced increased pressure from the ruling International Tennis Federation (ITF) to allow professional players to compete in its championships. For years,Wimbledon would permit only amateurs (that is, players who did not receive financial assistance from the ITF) to play in its tournament. However, with most of the world’s top players now turning professional, the Lawn and Tennis Association decided to keep up with the times and permit professionals to compete with amateurs at Wimbledon. The inaugural winners in the 1968 Wimbledon Open Championships were Billie Jean King and Rod Laver. Since 1968 the Championships have continued uninterrupted.
Records Broken
Several records have been broken at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club over the past twenty-five years. In 1980, Sweden’s Bjorn Borg won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title, becoming the first male to do so in over a hundred years. His victory over John McEnroe, a five-set thriller that included a 34-point fourth-set tiebreaker, is arguably the most memorable match in tennis history. Other notable records include Boris Becker becoming the first unseeded and youngest male champion in the tournament’s history; Martina Navratilova setting the all-time record of nine Singles titles in 1990; and Pete Sampras of the United States attaining his record seventh Gentlemen’s Singles title in 2000.
Venue Today
While Wimbledon’s present location has remained the same since 1922, many changes have been made to its grounds to accommodate the increasing number of spectators who flock to London to watch the Championships each year. In 1997, a new Court 1, a media center, and two extra grass courts were built to help improve the quality of the tournament for fans, officials, and players. Including Centre Court and Court 1, the club now has nineteen grass courts in use for the Championships. Future plans for the club include erecting a retractable roof over Centre Court to help avoid the rain delays that have befallen these Championships over the years.

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