The History of Wimbledon Tennis

Wimbledon is the oldest and most respected tournament in tennis history. Fred Perry, Bjorn Borg, Helen Wills Moody, Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf are just a few of the tennis greats that have played on the hallowed Wimbledon tennis court.

The Beginnings

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded in 1868. In 1875, Henry Cavendish Jones convinced the private club to convert one of the croquet courts into a lawn tennis court.

Gentlemen's Singles

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club held its first tennis tournament in 1877. 22 men played and Spenser Gore was crowned the first Wimbledon champion.

Ladies Singles

Ladies' singles and men's doubles were added to Wimbledon in 1882. 13 women entered the ladies' event and Lottie Dodd won the title.

First Stars at Wimbledon and First International Winners

Mary Sutton of the United States became the first overseas winner when she won the ladies' singles title in 1905. In 1907, Australian Norman Brookes became the first overseas player to win the men's singles title.

The Open Era

Only amateur players were permitted to play at Wimbledon until professional tennis players were permitted to play at Wimbledon in 1968. Billie Jean King and Rod Laver were the first Wimbledon winners in what came to be known as the open era.

The Modern Era.

Seventeen-year-old Boris Becker became the youngest player, the first unseeded player and the first German to win the men's singles title in 1985. Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win the men's single title in 1975.

References

• Wimbledon History
• The History of Wimbledon