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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.

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.

The All England Croquet Club began in 1868 as a private club in the small town of Wimbledon just outside of London. In 1875 Major Walter C.Wingfield introduced a game called lawn tennis, which was immediately popular with club members.The game left such an impression on its members that two years later they decided to rename the club “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club.” That same year the inaugural Lawn Tennis Championships were held using several of the same rules and regulations that govern the game today. The first Gentlemen’s Singles champion was Spencer Gore, who bested a field of twenty-two participants. In 1884 two significant events—the Ladies’ Singles and the Gentlemen’s Doubles—were added to the Championships. Maud Watson came out of a field of thirteen women to take the first Ladies’ Singles Championship, while William and Earnest Renshaw took the Doubles title. At the turn of the century, the Championships began to display a more international flavor. In 1905 May Sutton, an American, became the first non-British player to win the Championships. Two years later, Norman Brookes of Australia became the first foreigner to win the coveted Gentlemen’s Singles title. To help meet the growing popularity of the Championships, in 1922 the club was moved to its present location on Church Road.The current venue was opened by King George V and funded partly through the reserves of the club. After the move,Wimbledon’s beautiful grounds were able to accommodate over fourteen thousand people. Initial concerns regarding ticket sales for the Championships were quickly dismissed—in fact, ticket demands became so great during the tournament’s first year that tickets had to be allotted using ballots, a system still in use today.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is the site of the most prestigious tournament in tennis: Wimbledon. Also known as “the Championships,” Wimbledon challenges elite junior and professional players from around the world to compete on the club’s famous grass courts. Of the four major tennis tournaments played every year that compose the Grand Slam of tennis—the Australian, the French,Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open—Wimbledon is the oldest and the only one played on grass. It is often referred to as the truest test of tennis because it requires players to adapt their playing style to the low bounces produced by the grass surface.

Traditions

Playing on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon requires competitors to conform to some of the longstanding traditions of the club.While bowing on Center Court to the Royal Box (where members of the British Royal family sit on occasion) is no longer required, players must still wear all-white tennis apparel. Although over the years some players have protested Wimbledon’s preeminent role in the sport, many players still view tradition-rich Wimbledon as the most important tournament to win.