J.K Stephen, an English poet once quoted that,
“To see Good Tennis! What divine joy
Can fill our leisure, or our minds employ?
Let other people play at other things;
The King of Games is still the Game of Kings”
Tennis, the king of games, is much associated with Wimbledon, the king of all Grand Slams and the world’s most prestigious and most-watched tennis tournament. Vintage and prestigious are the words that could be used for the oldest tennis tournament, Wimbledon.
The championship has been played in All England Club since 1877 and is the most happening tournament of summer. The history of Wimbledon dates back to the second half of the nineteenth-century where it was first played in 1877 in the lush green lawns of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
The reason behind launching this tournament was to raise funds for the club. Today, the tournament is scheduled six weeks before the first Monday of August every year.
Initially, the tournament used to be for men’s singles, but in 1884 a lady’s single and men’s double competition also started. The Grand Slam received world status in 1905 when the first overseas, an American female tennis player, won the tournament.
As the fame of the tournament improved, the facilities for the players and the spectators also enhanced. Due to an extreme liking for the tournament, the court remained opened during World War II. Wimbledon has procreated such great legends like Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova, and Steffi Graf
Navratilova, with her elegant and tremendous play, won nine Wimbledon titles. Wimbledon is the tournament that is now discussed in the context of entertaining people with the never ending 11 hours 5 minutes match spread over three days in the 2010 Championship. It was the longest match ever played in the history of tennis.
