Wimbledon: Getting to know the world's oldest tennis tournament

Sports report

The Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All-England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is played on outdoor grass courts, with retractable roofs over the two main courts since 2019.

The grass-court tournament was first played 146 years ago, with only men allowed to compete at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, as the venue was known at the time. Nine years later, the first women’s championship took place, while the first mixed doubles competition was held in 1913. Throughout its long history, the tournament was suspended on several occasions, including World War I and II and, more recently, in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Russian and Belarusian players were barred from the competition last year following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The move was criticized by some tennis fans and experts, renewing the debate about whether politics should have any role in competitive sports. The ban has been lifted this year, but the athletes will not have their country displayed next to their names on the scoreboard.

In another change, female players this year have been allowed to wear mixed-colour undershorts to make it easier for those playing during their periods. What is unlikely to change, however, is the decades-old tradition of spectators consuming strawberries and cream. As usual, actors, musicians and sporting legends are also expected to congregate at the All-England Club’s lawns to watch the tournament until the very end.
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