NationMaster - Encyclopedia: The Championships, Wimbledon

The Championships, Wimbledon (commonly referred to as Wimbledon) is the oldest tennis championship in the world. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the only one played on grass courts. The 2008 Wimbledon Championships is a tennis tournament played on grass courts. ... Image File history File links Wimbledon_logo. ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team that wins all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is said to have achieved the Grand Slam or a Calendar Year Grand Slam. ... , This article is about the district of London. ... The London Borough of Merton is a London borough in south west London. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is based at Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, at grid reference TQ242721. ... GBP redirects here. ... In tennis, a singles player or doubles team that wins all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is said to have achieved the Grand Slam or a Calendar Year Grand Slam. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... Grand Slam is a general sports term applied when achieving something special. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The tournament is held in the London suburb of Wimbledon, England, at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (commonly referred to as the All England Club). It is held annually from late June to early July.^[2] The tournament is calendared so that it ends on the second Sunday of July and begins on the Monday, 13 days earlier. , This article is about the district of London. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is based at Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, at grid reference TQ242721. ...

It is the third Grand Slam tournament played each year. It is preceded by the Australian Open, which is played on hard courts, and the French Open (Roland Garros), which is played on clay courts. It is followed by the U.S. Open, which is played on hard courts. A Grand Slam is a term in tennis used to denote winning all four of the following championship titles in the same year: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon U.S. Open These tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments, and rank as the most important tennis tournaments... The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ... Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris during the 2006 French Open. ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In the 2008 tournament, five major events will be contested, as well as four junior events and four invitation events.^[3]

History

The Beginning Download high resolution version (1296x864, 196 KB)Sebastien Grosjean, 10th seed, in his 3rd round match against Jan-Michael Gambill. ... Download high resolution version (1296x864, 196 KB)Sebastien Grosjean, 10th seed, in his 3rd round match against Jan-Michael Gambill. ... SÃ©bastien RenÃ© Grosjean (pronounced: GROH-jahn) (born May 29, 1978, Marseille, France) is a professional tennis player from France. ...

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which is responsible for staging the world's leading tennis tournament, 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 introduced 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, hitherto administered by the Marylebone Cricket Club was drawn up for the meeting. These have stood the test of time and today's rules are similar except for details such as the height of the net and posts and the distance of the service line from the net.

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.

The lawns at the Ground were arranged in such a way that the principal court was situated in the middle with the others arranged around it; hence the title 'Centre Court', which was retained when the Club moved in 1922 to the present site in Church Road, although not a true description of its location. However, in 1980 four new courts were brought into commission on the north side of the ground, which meant the Centre Court was once more correctly defined. The opening on the new No. 1 Court in 1997 emphasised the description.

By 1882 activity at the Club was almost exclusively confined to lawn tennis and that year the word 'croquet' was dropped from the title. However, for sentimental reasons, it was restored in 1899 and since then the title has remained The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is based at Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, at grid reference TQ242721. ...

The Championships were first played under the control of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 1877 at a ground near Worple Road, Wimbledon; the only event held was Gentlemen's Singles. 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 only had to play in the final, against whoever had won through to challenge him. Championships moved to their present location, at a ground near Church Road, in 1922. 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. Britons are very proud of the tournament, though it is a source of national anguish and humour – no English man has won the singles event at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, and no English woman since Virginia Wade in 1977. The Championship was first televised in 1937. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is based at Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, at grid reference TQ242721. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Open Era in tennis began in 1968 when the Grand Slam tournaments, such as Wimbledon, abandoned the long-standing rules of amateurism and allowed professionals to compete. ... For other persons named Fred Perry, see Fred Perry (disambiguation). ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sarah Virginia Wade (born July 10, 1945, in Bournemouth, England) is a former tennis player from the United Kingdom. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

Wimbledon is acknowledged to be the premier tennis tournament in the world and the priority of The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which hosts The Championships, is to maintain its leadership into the twenty-first century. To that end a Long Term Plan was unveiled in 1993, which will improve the quality of the event for spectators, players, officials and neighbours.

Stage one of the Plan was completed for the 1997 Championships and involved building in Aorangi Park the new No. 1 Court, a Broadcast Centre, two extra grass courts and a tunnel under the hill linking Church Road and Somerset Road.

Stage two involved the removal of the old No. 1 Court complex to make way for the new Millennium Building, providing extensive facilities for the players, press, officials and Members, and the extension of the West Stand of the Centre Court with 728 extra seats.

Stage three continues. The construction of a new Championships entrance building, housing Club staff, museum, bank and ticket office at Gate 3 has left the Centre Court east side empty and will allow development to provide better facitilies for the public, increase the seating capacity from 13,800 to 15,000 and erect a retractable roof.^[4]

Events

Wimbledon includes five main events, four junior events and four invitation events.^[5]

Five Main Events

The five main events, and the number of players (or teams, in the case of doubles) include the following:

Four Junior Events

The four junior events and the number of players or teams include the following:

Four Invitation Events

Match Formats

Matches in the Gentlemen's Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles competitions are best-of-five sets. Matches in all other events are best-of-three sets. All events are single-elimination tournaments,^[10], except that the the Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles and the Ladies' Invitation Doubles are round-robin tournaments. A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout or sudden death tournament, is a type of tournament where the loser of each match is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event. ... A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a type of group tournament in which each participant plays every other participant an equal number of times. ...

Until 1922, the winners of the previous year's competition (except in the Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles) were automatically granted byes into the final round (then known as the challenge round). This led to many winners retaining their titles for successive years, as they were able to rest while their opponent competed from the start of the competition. From 1922, the prior-year's champions were not granted byes but were required to play all the rounds, like other tournament competitors.

Schedule

Each year, the tournament begins on the Monday falling between 20 and 26 June, which is six weeks before the first Monday in August.

Wimbledon begins two weeks after the Queen's Club Championships, which is one of the men's major warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon. Another important men's warm-up tournament is the Gerry Weber Open, which is held in Halle, Germany during the same week as the Queen's Club Championships. Other important men's grass-court tournaments before Wimbledon are Nottingham, England, and 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, which also includes women's events. Two other women's warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon include Birmingham and Eastbourne, both of which are in England. Goran Ivanisevic and Mario Ancic playing doubles during the 2004 Queens Club Championships The Queens Club Championships is an annual tournament for male tennis players, held on grass courts at the Queens Club in London. ... The Gerry Weber Open is a tennis tournament held in Halle, Germany. ... Halle (also called Halle in Westfalen in order to distinguish from Halle, Saxony-Anhalt) is a town in the German Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia. ...

Wimbledon is scheduled for 13 days, beginning on a Monday and ending on a Sunday. The five main events span both weeks, but the youth and invitational events are held mainly during the second week. Traditionally, there is no play on the "Middle Sunday", which is considered a rest day. However, rain has forced play on the Middle Sunday three times in the Championship's history: in 1991, 1997, and 2004. On each of these occasions, Wimbledon has staged a "People's Sunday", with unreserved seating and readily available, inexpensive tickets, allowing those with more limited means to sit on the show courts. Additionally, if the tournament is not completed by the end of the second Sunday, all remaining matches are postponed until "People's Monday". Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Players and seeding

A total of 128 players feature in each singles event, 64 pairs in each single-sex doubles event, and 48 pairs in Mixed Doubles. Players and doubles pairs are admitted to the main events on the basis of their international rankings, with consideration also given to their previous performances at grasscourt events. Currently (since 2001) 32 male and female players are given seedings in the Gentlemen's and Ladies' singles while 16 teams are seeded in the doubles events.

The Committee of Management and the Referee evaluate all applications for entry, and determine which players may be admitted to the tournament directly. The committee may admit a player without a high enough ranking as a wild card. Usually, wild cards are players who have performed well during previous tournaments, or would stimulate public interest in Wimbledon by participating. The only wild card to win the Gentlemen's Singles Championship was Goran Ivanišević (2001). Players and pairs who neither have high enough rankings nor receive wild cards may participate in a qualifying tournament held one week before Wimbledon at the Bank of England Sports Ground in Roehampton. The singles qualifying competitions are three-round events; the same-sex doubles competitions last for only one round. There is no qualifying tournament for Mixed Doubles. No qualifier has won either the Gentlemen's Singles or the Ladies' Singles tournaments. The furthest that any qualifier has progressed in the main draw of a Singles tournament is the semi-final round: John McEnroe in 1977 and Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus in 2000 (Gentlemen's Singles), and Alexandra Stevenson in 1999 (Ladies' Singles). In North American professional sports leagues, the term wild card refers to a team that qualifies for the championship playoffs without winning their specific subdivision (usually called a conference or division) outright. ... Goran Å imun IvaniÅ¡eviÄ‡ (pronounced ; born in Split, September 13, 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. ... This article is about the year. ... Headquarters Coordinates , , Governor Mervyn King Central Bank of United Kingdom Currency Pound sterling ISO 4217 Code GBP Base borrowing rate 5. ... Roehampton is a place in south London, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. ... John Patrick McEnroe Jr. ... Vladimir Voltchkov is one of the best belarusian tennis players, whos greatest achievemet was reaching the wimbledon semifinal in 2002. ... Alexandra Stevenson (born December 15, 1980 in La Jolla, California) is a professional tennis player from the United States. ...

Players are admitted to the junior tournaments upon the recommendations of their national tennis associations, on their International Tennis Federation world rankings and, in the case of the singles events, on the basis of a qualifying competition. The Committee of Management determines which players may enter the four invitational events. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 202 national tennis associations. ...

The Committee seeds the top players and pairs (thirty-two players in each main singles events, and sixteen pairs in each main doubles event) on the basis of their rankings. However, the Committee does also change the seedings due to a player's previous grass court performance. A majority of the entrants are unseeded. Only two unseeded players have ever won the Gentlemen's Singles Championship:Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanišević in 2001. (In 1985 there were only sixteen seeds - Becker was ranked 20th at the time; Ivanišević, however, was as low as 125th.) No unseeded player has captured the Ladies' Singles title; the lowest seeded female champion was Venus Williams, who won in 2007 as the twenty-third seed, beating her own record from 2005, when Williams won as the fourteenth seed. Unseeded pairs have won the doubles titles on numerous occasions; the 2005 Gentlemen's Doubles champions were not only unseeded, but also (for the first time ever) qualifier. They give many wildcards to players from Britain. This is to help the boost of British Tennis. Boris Franz Becker (born November 22, 1967) is a former World No. ... This article is about the year. ... Goran Å imun IvaniÅ¡eviÄ‡ (pronounced ; born in Split, September 13, 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. ... This article is about the year. ... Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Womens singles seeds from 1960 through 2005 at The Championships, Wimbledon: 2005: 1. ...

Grounds

The nineteen courts used for Wimbledon are all composed purely of rye grass. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is based at Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, at grid reference TQ242721. ... Order of play notice at the Wimbledon championships 2004. ... Order of play notice at the Wimbledon championships 2004. ... Ryegrass (Lolium) is a small genus of tufted grasses, belonging to the Grass family Poaceae. ...

The main show courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, are normally used only for two weeks a year, during the Championships, but play can extend into a third week in exceptional circumstances. The remaining seventeen courts are regularly used for other events hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The show courts will, however, be pressed into action for the second time in three months in 2012 as Wimbledon will host the tennis events of the 2012 Olympic Games. Centre Court may be used generically as the British English term for the main court at any tennis complex. ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... London 2012 redirects here. ...

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event played on grass courts. At one time, all the other Grand Slam events were played on grass. The French Open abandoned grass for its current red clay in 1928, while the U.S. and Australian Opens stayed with grass for decades longer. The U.S. Open abandoned grass for a synthetic clay surface in 1975 and changed again to a hard surface (DecoTurf) with its 1978 move to its current venue. The Australian Open abandoned grass for Rebound Ace, a different type of hard surface, in 1988, and switched to yet another type of hard surface, Plexicushion, in 2008. This article is about the tennis tournament. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see U.S. Open. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Used at the US Open as well the US Open Series tournaments, DecoTurf is a tennis hardcourt comprised of layers of Acrylic, rubber, silica, and other materials on top of an asphalt base. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Bronze Statue at the USTA National Tennis Center. ... The Australian Open is held each January at Melbourne Park. ... Used at the Australian Open, Rebound Ace is a cushioned tennis hardcourt comprised of layers of polyurethane rubber, fiberglass, and other materials on top of an asphalt base. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Plexicushion is a tennis surface made by Plexipave, a company based in Massachussetts, USA. According to a technical manual found on Tennis Australias website, it is one of a number of so called Wet lay systems which include Rebound Ace Pro, Laykold and DecoTurf. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

The main court, Centre Court, was opened in 1922 when the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club moved from Worple Road to Church Road. This change of venue was due to the huge crowd pressure at Worple Road to see the French phenomenon Suzanne Lenglen, and for which it proved completely inadequate. Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen (24 May 1899 â€“ 4 July 1938) was a French tennis player who achieved much success in the French and British womens game from 1919 to 1926, winning 25 Grand Slam titles. ...

Due to possibility of rain during Wimbledon, a retractable roof is planned for the court, which is expected to be completed in 2009. The retractable roof is said to be designed to close/open in under 10 minutes and will be closed primarily to protect play from inclement (and, if necessary, extremely hot weather) during The Championships.^[11] Also, during the time of its opening/closing, play will be suspended. The court has a capacity of almost 14,000. At its south end is the Royal Box, from which members of the Royal Family and other dignitaries watch matches. Centre Court usually hosts the finals and semifinals of the main events, as well as many matches in the earlier rounds involving top-seeded players or local favourites. 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The second most important court is No. 1 Court. The court was constructed in 1997 to replace the old No. 1 Court, which was adjacent to Centre Court. The old No. 1 Court was demolished because its capacity for spectators was too low. The court was said to have had a unique, more intimate atmosphere and was a favourite of many players. The new No. 1 Court has a capacity of approximately 11,000. The third-largest court, No. 2 Court, has been dubbed the "Graveyard of Champions" due to its reputation as the court on which many seeded players have been eliminated during the early rounds. Famous players who have lost on the Graveyard during early round play include Joe Creedon, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. The court has a capacity of about 3,000. There are plans to build a brand new 4,000 capacity No. 2 Court where No. 13 Court currently stands in time for the 2009 Championships. Image File history File linksMetadata Court_1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Court_1. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... John Patrick McEnroe Jr. ... Boris Franz Becker (born November 22, 1967) is a former World No. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ... Petros â€œPeteâ€ Sampras (born 12 August 1971), is a former World No. ... Martina Hingis (pronounced: ) (born September 30, 1980 in KoÅ¡ice, Slovakia) is a former World No. ... Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. ... Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American former World No. ...

At the northern end of the grounds is a giant television screen on which important matches are broadcast. Fans watch from an area of grass officially known as the Aorangi Terrace, but more commonly called Henman Hill. The "hill" takes its name from local favourite Tim Henman, who many fans once hoped would become the first British man to win the tournament since Fred Perry did so in 1936. When other British players do well at Wimbledon, the hill attracts fans for them, and is often re-named by the press for them: Greg Rusedski's followers convened at "Rusedski Ridge", and the young Scotsman Andy Murray has had the hill nicknamed "Murray Mound", "Mount Murray", or "Murray Field" (after the Scottish rugby stadium). Henman Hill - side view Henman Hill - rear view Henman Hill - front view Henman Hill is an area in the grounds of the All England Club where the Wimbledon tennis championships are annually held. ... Timothy Henry Tim Henman OBE (born 6 September 1974 in Oxford) is a former English tennis player. ... For other persons named Fred Perry, see Fred Perry (disambiguation). ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gregory Greg Rusedski (born September 6, 1973, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a former British tennis player who turned professional in 1991, and played until his retirement on April 7, 2007 at the age of 33. ... Andrew Andy Murray (born 15 May 1987 in Glasgow), is a Scottish[4] tennis player, who has represented both Scotland[5] and Great Britain[6] in past matches. ... Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium in the capital of , Edinburgh, and is the home of Scottish Rugby Union. ...

Traditions

Download high resolution version (1296x864, 181 KB)Taken looking out to court no. ... Download high resolution version (1296x864, 181 KB)Taken looking out to court no. ... Download high resolution version (1296x864, 221 KB)Taken from the standing area on court number 2 on the evening of the 1st friday in the 2004 Championships. ... Download high resolution version (1296x864, 221 KB)Taken from the standing area on court number 2 on the evening of the 1st friday in the 2004 Championships. ...

Colours and uniforms

Dark green and purple (sometimes also referred to as mauve) are the traditional Wimbledon colours. Green clothing was worn by the chair umpire, linesmen, ball boys and ball girls until the 2005 Championships; however, beginning with the 2006 Championships, officials, ball boys and ball girls were outfitted in new navy blue and cream coloured uniforms from American designer Ralph Lauren. This marked the first time in the history of the Championships that an outside company was used to design Wimbledon clothing. As of June 2006, Wimbledon's contract with Ralph Lauren is set to last until 2009. This article is about the color. ... This is an article about the color mauve. ... For the company, see Polo Ralph Lauren. ...

Dress Code

The All England Club requires players to wear "almost entirely white" clothing during matches (used as an excuse by a young Andre Agassi for not playing the tournament in 1990, although his decision may have had more to do with his game at the time being unsuited to grass; he later won the competition). No other Grand Slam tournament has such a strict dress code for players. Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970) is a former World No. ...

Referring to Players

During matches, female players are always referred to by the title "Miss" or "Mrs"; married female players are formally referred to by their husbands' names: for example, Chris Evert-Lloyd appeared on scoreboards as "Mrs. J. M. Lloyd" during her marriage to John M. Lloyd. This tradition has continued at least to some extent.^[12] Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954) is a former World No. ... John Lloyd (b. ...

Royal Family

Previously, players bowed or curtsied to members of the Royal Family seated in the Royal Box upon entering or leaving Centre Court. In 2003, however, the President of the All England Club, HRH The Duke of Kent, decided to discontinue the tradition. Now, players are required to bow or curtsy only if the Queen or the Prince of Wales is present. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Strawberries and Cream

For the spectators, strawberries and cream is the traditional snack at Wimbledon. Approximately 28,123 kilograms (62,000 pounds) of strawberries and 7,000 litres (1,540 gallons) of cream are sold each year during the Championships. For other uses, see Strawberry (disambiguation). ... For other uses of Cream, see Cream (disambiguation). ...

Radio Wimbledon

Since 1992, Radio Wimbledon – an on-site radio station with a studio in the Centre Court building – has broadcast commentary, music and speech from 8am to 10pm daily throughout the championship. They also broadcast the draw on the Friday prior to the start of the tournament. Radio Wimbledon can be heard within a five-mile radius on 87.7 FM, and also online. It operates under a Restricted Service License and is arguably the most sophisticated RSL annually in the UK. The main presenters are Sam Lloyd and Nick Dye. Typically they work alternate four hour shifts. Reporters and commentators include Gigi Salmon, Nick Lestor, Rupert Bell, Nigel Bidmead, Guy Swindells, Lucie Ahl, Nadine Towell and Helen Whitaker. Often they will report from the "Crow's Nest", an elevated building housing the court 2 and 3 scoreboards which affords views of most of the outside courts. Regular guests include Sue Mappin. In recent years Radio Wimbledon acquired a second low-power FM frequency (within the grounds only) of 96.3 FM for uninterrupted Centre Court commentary, and, from 2006, a third for coverage from No. 1 Court on 97.8 FM. Hourly news bulletins and travel (using RDS) are also broadcast. Main Article: The Championships, Wimbledon Radio Wimbledon is the official radio station to the annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the AELTC in Wimbledon. ... Main Article: The Championships, Wimbledon Radio Wimbledon is the official radio station to the annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the AELTC in Wimbledon. ... Main Article: The Championships, Wimbledon Radio Wimbledon is the official radio station to the annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the AELTC in Wimbledon. ... The abbreviations FM, Fm, and fm may refer to: Electrical engineering Frequency modulation (FM) and its most common applications: FM broadcasting, used primarily to broadcast music and speech at VHF frequencies FM synthesis, a sound-generation technique popularized by early digital synthesizers Science Femtometre (fm), an SI measure of length... A UK Restricted Service Licence (often called an RSL), is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event. ... Main Article: The Championships, Wimbledon Radio Wimbledon is the official radio station to the annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the AELTC in Wimbledon. ... Radio Data System, or RDS, is a standard from the European Broadcasting Union for sending small amounts of digital information using conventional FM radio broadcasts. ...

Television Coverage

For over 60 years, the BBC has broadcast the tournament on television in the UK, splitting time for the many matches it covers between its two main terrestrial channels, BBC One and BBC Two. The channel currently holds the broadcast rights for Wimbledon until 2014. During the days of British Satellite Broadcasting, its sports channel carried extra coverage of Wimbledon for subscribers, and the BBC annually distributes its commercial-free feed to outlets worldwide. Americans have made a tradition of NBC's "Breakfast at Wimbledon" specials on the weekends, where live coverage starts early in the morning (the US being a minimum of 5 hours behind the UK) and continues well into the afternoon, interspersed with commentary and interviews from Bud Collins, whose tennis acumen and (in)famous patterned trousers are well-known to tennis fans in the USA. Collins was sacked by NBC in 2007, but was promptly hired by ESPN, the cable home for The Championships in the States. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 1. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 2. ... BSB logo British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) was a company set up in 1986 to provide direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the television network. ... Arthur Bud Collins (b. ... This article is about the television network. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ...

Wimbledon was also involved, unintentionally, in a piece of television history, on 1 July 1967. That was when the first, official, colour broadcast took place in the UK. Four hours live coverage of Wimbledon was shown on BBC2 (then the only colour channel in the UK), and although footage of that historic match no longer survives, the men's final that year is still held in the BBC archives, for it was the first men's final transmitted in colour. is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ...

Since 2007, the most anticipated Wimbledon matches are transmitted in High Definition, on the BBC's free-to-air channel BBC HD, with continual live coverage during the tournament of Centre Court and Court No. 1 as well as an evening highlight show ( Today at Wimbledon). BBC HD is the high-definition television channel launched by the BBC on a trial basis from May 15, 2006, with the first HD originated programme, Planet Earth, shown on May 27. ...

The BBC's opening theme music for Wimbledon was composed by Keith Mansfield and is titled "Light and Tuneful". A piece titled "A Sporting Occasion" is the traditional closing theme, though nowadays coverage typically ends either with a montage set to a popular song, or with no music at all. Keith Mansfield composes TV theme tunes, one of his most famous being the Grandstand theme tune for the BBC - a show which has been lately axed by the BBC. Category: ...

Tickets

Wimbledon is the only major grand slam where fans without tickets for play that day can queue up and still get seats on Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2. For 2008, there will be a single queue, allotted about 500 seats for each court. Fans are handed vouchers when they arrive in their queue with a number on it and the following morning when the line moves towards the Grounds, stewards come through the line and hand out wristbands that are colour coded to the specific court. The voucher is then redeemed at the ticket office for the ticket.

To get into the show courts, fans will normally have to queue overnight at Wimbledon. This is done by fans from all over the world and is considered part of the Wimbledon experience in itself. Tennis enthusiasts planning to queue overnight for the Championships are advised to bring along a tent and a sleeping bag. Times to queue up vary according to the weather, but anyone queueing up before 9PM on a weekday should be able to get a show court ticket. Queuing for the show courts end after the quarter finals have been completed.

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: "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion 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, and by his wife, the Duchess of Kent. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 Ã— 2560 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 Ã— 2560 pixel, file size: 2. ... Year 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Field Marshal Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Patrick Paul; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942. ...

In 2008, the prize money for the main events is as follows (the amounts shown for the doubles events are per pair):^[13]

Champions

Among the four major titles, Wimbledon is the one that generates the most anxiety for the British. This is due to the fact that not only has no British player won a Wimbledon singles title since 1977, but no Brit has even been in the final since then. Therefore, frequently the British (especially the English) will rally around a single countryman to bring back the glory. In the recent past, the retired Tim Henman was the most prominent hope. Andy Murray has become the next hope to rally around. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Federer redirects here. ... Timothy Henry Tim Henman OBE (born 6 September 1974 in Oxford) is a former English tennis player. ... Andrew Andy Murray (born 15 May 1987 in Glasgow), is an English[4][5] tennis player, who is currently the highest-ranking British player. ...

// See: List of Wimbledon Gentlemens Singles champions See: List of Wimbledon Final Appearances See: List of Wimbledon Ladies Singles champions See: List of Wimbledon Doubles champions See: List of Wimbledon Mixed Doubles champions â€ : junior champion who has won the Gentlemens title as well #un: unseeded â€ : junior champion who... Timeline See also Wimbledon Championships List of Wimbledon Womens Singles champions List of Wimbledon Doubles champions List of Wimbledon Mixed Doubles champions List of Australian Open Mens Singles champions List of Australian Open Womens Singles champions List of French Open Mens Singles champions List of French... Wimbledon Championships List of Wimbledon Mens Singles champions List of Wimbledon Doubles champions List of Wimbledon Mixed Doubles champions List of Australian Open Mens Singles champions List of Australian Open Womens Singles champions List of French Open Mens Singles champions List of French Open Womens... This is a list of champions of the Wimbledon championships of the Gentlemens and Ladies Doubles competitions. ... This is a list of champions of the Wimbledon championships of the Gentlemens and Ladies Doubles competitions. ... This is a list of champions of the Wimbledon championships of the Mixed Doubles competitions. ...

Records

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... William Charles Renshaw (January 3, 1861 - August 12, 1904) was one of the greatest British male tennis players ever. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Petros â€œPeteâ€ Sampras (born 12 August 1971), is a former World No. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... William Charles Renshaw (January 3, 1861 - August 12, 1904) was one of the greatest British male tennis players ever. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... (born June 6, 1956, in Stockholm, Sweden) is a former World No. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Federer redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Reginald Reggie Frank Doherty (October 14, 1872 - December 29, 1910) was a British male tennis player and older brother of Laurie Doherty. ... Hugh Lawrence Laurie Doherty (October 8, 1875 - August 21, 1919) was a British male tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Woodbridge (back) with partner Jonas BjÃ¶rkman in the mens double final, Wimbledon 2004. ... Mark Woodforde (born 23 September 1965) was a professional tennis player from Australia. ... Jonas Lars BjÃ¶rkman (pronounced: YO-nas BYERK-mann) (born March 23, 1972, Alvesta, Sweden) is a Swedish professional male tennis player and former World No. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Reginald Reggie Frank Doherty (October 14, 1872 - December 29, 1910) was a British male tennis player and older brother of Laurie Doherty. ... Hugh Lawrence Laurie Doherty (October 8, 1875 - August 21, 1919) was a British male tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Woodbridge (back) with partner Jonas BjÃ¶rkman in the mens double final, Wimbledon 2004. ... Mark Woodforde (born 23 September 1965) was a professional tennis player from Australia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the tennis player. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Vic Seixas (August 30, 1923) was an American male tennis player who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Margaret Smith Court (pre-marital name: Margaret Jean Smith) (born July 16, 1942) is a retired Australian professional tennis player. ... Doris Hart (born on June 2, 1925 in St. ... Shirley June Fry Irvin (June 30, 1927) was an American female tennis player who was born in Akron, Ohio, United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Owen Davidson (born October 4, 1943 in Melbourne) was a professional tennis player of the 1960s and 1970s. ... Billie Jean Moffitt King (born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is a retired tennis player from the United States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Hugh Lawrence Laurie Doherty (October 8, 1875 - August 21, 1919) was a British male tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Woodbridge (back) with partner Jonas BjÃ¶rkman in the mens double final, Wimbledon 2004. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Helen Newington Wills Roark (October 6, 1905 â€“ January 1, 1998), also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player who is generally considered to have been one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen (24 May 1899 â€“ 4 July 1938) was a French tennis player who achieved much success in the French and British womens game from 1919 to 1926, winning 25 Grand Slam titles. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Elizabeth Ryan was an American tennis player who holds the most womens doubles and mixed doubles titles in Wimbledon history. ... Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen (24 May 1899 â€“ 4 July 1938) was a French tennis player who achieved much success in the French and British womens game from 1919 to 1926, winning 25 Grand Slam titles. ... Mary Kendall Browne (June 3, 1891 - August 19, 1971) was the first American female professional tennis player. ... Helen Newington Wills Roark (October 6, 1905 â€“ January 1, 1998), also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player who is generally considered to have been one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. ... Simone Mathieu was a female tennis player from France. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Billie Jean Moffitt King (born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is a retired tennis player from the United States. ... Karen Hantze Susman (born on December 11, 1942 in San Diego, California, USA) was a female tennis player from the United States. ... Maria Ester Audion Bueno, born October 11, 1939, in SÃ£o Paulo, Brazil, is a former tennis champion. ... Rosemary Rosie Casals (September 16, 1948) was an American professional tennis player. ... Betty Stove was a professional female tennis player from the Netherlands. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954) is a former World No. ... Billie Jean Moffitt King (born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is a retired tennis player from the United States. ... Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby (born July 4, 1962, in Baltimore, Maryland), is a former professional tennis player and current sports broadcaster from the United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen (24 May 1899 â€“ 4 July 1938) was a French tennis player who achieved much success in the French and British womens game from 1919 to 1926, winning 25 Grand Slam titles. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Elizabeth Ryan was an American tennis player who holds the most womens doubles and mixed doubles titles in Wimbledon history. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby (born July 4, 1962, in Baltimore, Maryland), is a former professional tennis player and current sports broadcaster from the United States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belarus. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Natalya Natasha Zvereva (Belarusian: ÐÐ°Ñ‚Ð°Ð»ÑŒÐ»Ñ Ð—ÑŒÐ²ÐµÑ€Ð°Ð²Ð°, Russian: ÐÐ°Ñ‚Ð°ÑˆÐ° Ð—Ð²ÐµÑ€ÐµÐ²Ð°; born April 16, 1971) is a tennis player from Belarus. ... Larisa Neiland (born August 21, 1966) is a Ukranian born tennis player who now plays for Latvia. ... Beatriz Fernández (born 1966), better known as Gigi Fernández, is a Puerto Rican former tennis player. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Elizabeth Ryan was an American tennis player who holds the most womens doubles and mixed doubles titles in Wimbledon history. ... Randolph Lycett was a famous mens doubles tennis player. ... The Three Major Professional Tournaments Professional tennis players in the years before the Open era began in 1968 played mostly on tours in head-to-head competition. ... Image:Jack crawford. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Paul McNamee (b. ... Mark Woodforde (born 23 September 1965) was a professional tennis player from Australia. ... Jonathan Stark (born April 3, 1971, in Medford, Oregon) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. ... Leander Adrian Paes (born June 17, 1973) is an Indian male tennis professional, who currently features predominantly in the doubles events in the ATP tour and the Davis Cup events. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Billie Jean Moffitt King (born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is a retired tennis player from the United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Elizabeth Ryan was an American tennis player who holds the most womens doubles and mixed doubles titles in Wimbledon history. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Jean Borotra, the Bounding Basque Borotra (right), with Jacques Brugnon a great doubles player Jean Robert Borotra (born on August 13, 1898 in Domaine du Pouy, near Biarritz â€“ died on June 17, 1994 in Arbonne) was a champion tennis player, one of the famous Four Musketeers from France who dominated... Image File history File links Flag_of_Czechoslovakia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martina NavrÃ¡tilovÃ¡ (b. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954) is a former World No. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Blanche Bingley Blanche Bingley (November 3, 1863 â€“ August 6, 1946) was an English tennis player. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Goran Å imun IvaniÅ¡eviÄ‡ (pronounced ; born in Split, September 13, 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Goran Å imun IvaniÅ¡eviÄ‡ (pronounced ; born in Split, September 13, 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player, former World No. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Martina Hingis (pronounced: ) (born September 30, 1980 in KoÅ¡ice, Slovakia) is a former World No. ...

Wimbledon in popular culture

This article is about the television series. ... Extragalactic Blancmange puddings feature prominently in the latter four linked TV humor sketches of the 1970s TV show Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Episode Seven: Youre no fun any more. ... Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Dont Come Back!!) is a 1980 animated film produced by United Feature Syndicate for Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Melendez. ... Snoopy is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. ... Wimbledon is a film released in September 2004. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kirsten[1] Caroline Dunst (born April 30, 1982) is an American actress, known for her roles in Interview with the Vampire (for which she received a Golden Globe nomination), The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and Bring It On, as well as for her portrayal of Mary Jane Watson in the... Family Guy is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series about a dysfunctional family in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. ... This article is about the Family Guy character. ... Kamp Krusty is the first episode of The Simpsons fourth season. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Krusty the Clown, or Herschel Schmoikel Krustofski (full name: Herschel Pinkes Remochel Krustofski), is a fictional character in the cartoon The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. ... Get Fuzzy is an American daily comic strip written and drawn by Darby Conley. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Anthony Horowitz (born 5 April 1956) is an English author and television scriptwriter. ... For the title character of the series, see Alex Rider (character). ... Skeleton Key is the third book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. ...

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