Tennis is one of the most aristocratic sports. This is largely facilitated by the Wimbledon tournament, with a 130-year history and preserving its traditions to the present. He is one of the four most prestigious Grand Slam championships held by the All-England Tennis and Croquet Club.
A bit of history
It all started in July 1877, when the first tennis competitions were held in the club’s territory, in the southwestern part of London (the town of World Road), in which 22 people took part. The tournament was held only for men in singles. The winner was to receive a prize of 35 guineas, paying only one for participating in competitions. Athletes competed for 4 days, and the final game attracted 200 spectators, which gave some income to the organizers. The first champion to write his name in the history of the tournament was the local shopkeeper Spencer Gore.
Since 1884, the first foreign participants appeared on the court, and the competition program was supplemented by women's and doubles. The first winners were Mod Watson and the Renshaw brothers, who took the lead for several years. In 1913, the international federation was given the status of a world championship (there were three in total) on grass. Competitions were interrupted only during the years of the first and second world wars, becoming a truly massive spectacle.
Since 1922, the location of the tournament has changed, but remained in the suburbs of London - Church Road, where the Central Court was rebuilt for 13.5 thousand people. Spectators were lured by various lotteries. Interest in competitions increased in 1937, when the first broadcast was conducted. Representatives of the socialist countries joined the championship in the 50s. Since 1967, the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament was opened for professionals, gradually gaining the status of one of the main competitions in the grid.
Courts, coating
Today, the tennis complex has 19 grass courts. Central, with the number of spectators in 15 thousand people, and Court No. 1, introduced in 1928, are used only two weeks a year during the BS tournament. For competitions, Court No. 2 is also used, which is commonly called a cemetery for champions, since players often lose at its sites. In 2009, a sliding canopy was built over the Central Court in case of rain. Electricity is not used, so games are held only during daylight hours.
The grass is laid with rolls; it is specially grown in the county of Yorkshire. The composition of the soil was not disclosed. It is only known that the lawn consists of rye and fescue of two varieties, it is looked after by 14 people, headed by an agronomist, whose position is extremely prestigious. The height of the grass cover is 8 mm, it is on this surface that tennis is played. The Wimbledon tournament was famous for the fact that pigeons always flew over its venues, which at one time were destroyed with the help of hawks. Today, more humane methods are used.
List of participants
Over the course of two weeks, Wimbledon has become a venue not only for professional players in five categories, but also for senior juniors, as well as wheelchair users. Until 1924, previous champions played only in the challenge round, but after changing the rules, seeding of players and drawing of lots on a national basis appeared in which the winners had equal conditions with the rest of the players. With the introduction of the ATP rating in 1973, national federations ceased to determine the composition of the participating teams.
The Wimbledon tournament differs from the rest in that the seeding of 32 players does not depend on the official rankings, but on the results of the athletes on grass courts in recent years. Traditionally, for 3 weeks on the eve of Wimbledon, the Masters series competitions are held to prepare for playing on the grass - the fastest form of tennis with a low ball bounce.
Traditions
Competitions are held under the patronage of the royal family of Great Britain, therefore, they are distinguished by a certain conservatism and strict adherence to traditions. The organizers do not depart from the date, which counts down from the 1st of Monday of August. 6 weeks are calculated, so the 2016 tournament began on June 27. The arena and the surrounding area are decorated in green and purple colors, as they are the official ones for the competition. Athletes are required to appear in white suits with a small percentage of pastel shades. Judges refer to male participants strictly by name, to women - with the prefix "miss" or "Mrs."
The traditional treat at the Wimbledon tournament is ten strawberries with cream. It is brought from English farms, where it is grown specifically for guests. Less than a day has passed since the harvest and delivery. Over the course of the competition, about 150 thousand servings are consumed.
Interesting Facts
Male winners receive a prize in the form of a goblet of gilded silver. Women - a silver tray. But the main thing is a monetary reward, which tends to increase every year. In 2016, the Wimbledon tournament raised the prize pool by 5%. As a result, it equals £ 28.1 million (about $ 41 million). Singles winners - Englishman Andy Murray and American Serena Williams - received an amount of 2 million pounds. Such equality dates back to 2007, although many professionals consider this unfair, because men spend on the court 2 times more playing time.
Since 1977, a museum has been opened in the suburbs of London . The Wimbledon tournament appears in interesting exhibits and a three-dimensional matrix figure of John McEnroe, who talks about an exciting game. The museum houses the dress of Maria Sharapova, the winner of the 2004 tournament. The institution operates year-round, closing its doors during the tournament.
Among the record holders for the number of victories are tennis players who won the title 7 times: Steffi Graf, William Renshaw, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Martina Navratilova managed to do this 9 times, the last - at the age of 46.