What is Wimbledon?

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a private club founded on July 23, 1868, originally as 'The All England Croquet Club' off Worple Road, Wimbledon. In 1876, lawn tennis, originally named as Sphairistikè, a game devised by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield was added to the activities of the club.

The inaugural 1877 Wimbledon Championship opened on 9 July 1877. Featuring only men singles, it was won by Spencer Gore, an old Harrovian rackets player. Today, The Championships, Wimbledon or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and widely considered the most prestigious.

It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments (Majors), the others being the Australian Open, the French Open (Roland Garros) and the US Open. Since the Australian Open shifted to hard court in 1988, Wimbledon is the only Major still played on grass, the game's original surface, which gave the game its original name of "lawn tennis".

The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled for the second Saturday and Sunday respectively. Five major, junior, and invitational events are held each year.

Wimbledon traditions include a strict dress code for competitors, the eating of strawberries and cream by the spectators, and Royal patronage. The tournament is also notable for the absence of sponsor advertising around the courts. In 2009, Wimbledon's Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to lessen the loss of playing time due to rain.