THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The hallowed grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club plays host to The Championships Wimbledon.

The holly grail, this is the spiritual home of tennis and is an absolute must for any avid tennis follower.

Remembering my first visit, “while walking through the gates to pick up my photo credentials the hairs on my arm stood up”.

Known for all their traditions—Why white you ask? The short answer is dress code. It’s in the dress code because when the code was written in the genteel 1880’s, sweat stains were considered so improper and unsightly that it was decided that white should be worn to minimize their visibility, as sweat is more visible on colorful clothing.

Strawberries and Cream—this tradition was adopted early in Wimbledon’s history, partly in response to the fashionability of strawberries in

19th century London. Plus, at this time they were only available for a few weeks a year; weeks that happened to coincide with the time of the tournament attended by the city’s upper classes.

This place is filled with so much history! The Club was founded July 1868 as The All England Croquet Club. The name was changed in 1877 to The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, and in 1899 to The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

The main site is comprised of a total of 18 Championship Grass Courts (including Centre Court and No. 1 Court) and 14 Grass Practice Courts.

Since the first tournament 125 years ago in 1877, The Championships have taken place over two weeks in late June - early July. However, for 2023 they’ve been moved back by two weeks to allow players to adjust from the clay to the grass playing surface. The competition begins on Monday, July 3rd and concludes on Sunday, July 16th.