Introduction
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is considered the most prestigious.It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments the other three are the Australian Open, French Open and US Open and the only one still played on the game's original surface, grass, which gave the game of lawn tennis its name.
History
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a private club founded in 1868, originally as 'The All England Croquet Club'. Its first ground was situated off Worple Road, Wimbledon.
In 1875, lawn tennis, a game devised by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield a year or so earlier and originally called 'Sphairistike', was added to the activities of the club. In the spring of 1877, the club was re-titled '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 until then administered by the Marylebone Cricket Club) was drawn up for the event.
The only event held in 1877 was the Gentlemen's Singles, which was won by Spencer Gore, an old Harrovian rackets player, from a field of 22. About 200 spectators paid one shilling each to watch the final.In 1884, the All England Club added Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles. Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913.
Until 1922, the reigning champion had to play only in the final, against whoever had won through to challenge him/her. As with the other three Grand Slam events, Wimbledon was contested by top-ranked amateur players until the advent of the open era in tennis in 1968. No British man has won the singles event at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 and no British woman has won the Ladies Singles since Virginia Wade in 1977, although Annabel Croft and Laura Robson won the Girls' Championship in 1984 and 2008, respectively. The Championship was first televised in 1937.
Events
Wimbledon includes five main events, four junior events and four invitation events.
Main Events
- Gentlemen's Singles
- Ladies' Singles
- Gentlemen's Doubles
- Ladies' Doubles
- Mixed Doubles
Junior Events
- Boys Singles
- Girls Singles
- Boys Doubles
- Girls Doubles
Invitation Events
- Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles
- Senior Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles
- Ladies' Invitation Doubles
- Gentlemen's Wheelchair Doubles
- Ladies' Wheelchair Doubles
Trophies and Prize Money
The Gentlemen's Singles champion receives a silver gilt cup 18.5 inches (about 47 cm) in height and 7.5 inches (about 19 cm) in diameter. The trophy has been awarded since 1887 and bears the inscription: "All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World." The Ladies' Singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish", or simply the "Rosewater Dish". The salver, which is 18.75 inches (about 48 cm) in diameter, is decorated with figures from mythology. The winners of the Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups. The runner-up in each event receives an inscribed silver plate. The trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England Club, The Duke of Kent.
Prize money was first awarded in 1968, the first year that professional players were allowed to compete in the Championships.For the 2010 Championships, the total prize money increased to £13,725,000, and the singles champions will receive £1,000,000 each
Champions
The current champions are:
| Event | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Men's Singles | Rafael Nadal | Tomas Berdych | 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 |
| 2010 Women's Singles | Serena Williams | Vera Zvonareva | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2010 Men's Doubles | Jurgen Melzer,Phillip | Robert,Horia | 6-1, 7-5, 7-5 |
| 2010 Women's Doubles | Vania,Shvedova | Elina,Vera | 7-6(6), 6-2 |
| 2010 Mixed Doubles | Paes,Cara Black | Weslay,Lisa | 6-4, 7-6(5) |
A long list of previous winners are given in the links below