Wimbledon Tennis History
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The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a private club formed in 1868, is responsible for staging the Wimbledon Championship. Wimbledon tennis history began in 1877, at grounds on Worple Road, in Wimbledon, London. The first matches in Wimbledon tennis history were men’s singles matches, featuring 22 participants. The winner was Spencer Gore. In 1884, ladies’ single matches were added to the roster, and the winner, Maud Watson, added her name to the Wimbledon tennis history books. That same year, men’s doubles began. Ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles were introduced in 1913. In 1922, Wimbledon Championship play moved to its’ present location, grounds near Church Road.
Wimbledon tennis history took an international turn during the 1900’s because it became a tournament for tennis players world wide. The first overseas winner was May Sutton (USA). She became the Ladies’ singles champion in 1905. She won again in 1907 and Norman Brookes became the first foreign men‘s singles champion that year as well, adding more records to the history of Wimbledon tennis.
The rise of air travel in 1950 allowed more overseas players to have the opportunity to be placed in Wimbledon tennis history. From the mid 1950’s to the early 1970’s, Australians dominated the men’s singles, and in the 1960’s, the ladies’ singles were dominated by the Americans, Australians, and even a Brazilian. Althea Gibson made major waves in Wimbledon tennis history by becoming the first African-American woman to win a Wimbledon Championship. She had back-to-back wins in 1957 and 1958.
The Lawn Tennis Association voted in 1967 to open Wimbledon Tennis Championship play, and again, Wimbledon tennis history was made when professionals were allowed to play amateurs. During this era, Rod Laver and Billie Jean King were the first players to win, securing a spot in Wimbledon tennis history. 1980’s were good to Bjorn Borg of Sweden; he was the first player since William Renshaw in the late 1880’s to win five men’s singles titles in a row. Renshaw won eight consecutively, a Wimbledon tennis history record that still stands. The Wimbledon Championship matches between Borg and John McEnroe, and Borg and Jimmy Connors became a Wimbledon tennis history classic.
There are also many interesting facts that surround Wimbledon tennis history, such as in 1909, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club adopted the purple and green colors that are used today. The first ever radio broadcasted Wimbledon Championship tennis event was in 1927, and the first color television broadcast was in 1967. Another piece of Wimbledon tennis history lies within the uniforms. In the beginning, men wore long pants, and women wore long dresses and stockings. It was not until 1933, when Bunny Austin was the first player to wear shorts, when the dress code changed, and the history of Wimbledon tennis attire became no more.
In 1939, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club closed the Wimbledon Championship due to World War II. Yellow tennis balls were adopted for the first time in Wimbledon tennis history to making the speeding balls more visible for television cameras.
On Point is an independent Wimbledon travel package and ticket broker that specializes in sports travel packages and tickets to high demand events worldwide. The sports travel packages we offer can be catered to your individual desires and are sure to be an unforgettable experience. Though we offer pre-planned Wimbledon travel packages, with the many options we have available, On Point can arrange customized Wimbledon packages that no one else in the industry can provide.
To request a quote for a Wimbledon package or to discover more of what On Point can do for you and your private party, contact us today at 713-227-8888 to speak with one of our executive travel consultants. You can also call our Travel Agent Hotline at 800-809-1277 or e-mail us at info@onpointevents.com.
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