The Wimbledon Championships
The club itself was founded in 1868, when it was known as the All England Croquet Club. It wasn’t until 1876 when the game of lawn tennis was invented that it became one of the activities at the club. A year later the club decided to change its name to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, and at the same time decided to celebrate their new name with the inaugural Wimbledon Championship. The Gentleman’s Singles was the only event held, and around 200 spectators paid one shilling to get into the All England Club and watch the final, which was won by Spencer Gore.
For future championships several other courts were arranged around one main court where more important games were staged, hence the name Centre Court. When the club moved to a new location in 1922 they decided to keep the name for their new main court, even though it is no longer an accurate description of its location. However during the 80s more courts were built on the opposite side of the court to make its name more appropriate.
In 1822, the club had become so synonymous with the game of lawn tennis that the croquet in the name was dropped, until it was restored for sentimental reasons in 1899. However, when it was restored it was made the latter part of the name, making it the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which it is still known as today. The club expanded in 1884 with the addition of Ladies’ Singles, Ladies’ Doubles, and Men’s Doubles. Mixed Doubles was eventually added in 1913. Before what is known as the open era started in 1968 only top ranked amateurs played in the championship, before the game went professional.
More recently, a building plan has been completed to keep Wimbledon as one of the top sporting locations. The first step of the plan was completed in 1997 when a new Court No. 1 was build along with two extra courts and a broadcast centre. In 2009 the second stage was completed with the removal of the old No. 1 court and the construction of the Millennium Building with facilities for players and press. Extensions were also made on Centre Court with over 700 seats installed, along with improvements to Wimbledon hospitality. The final stage of improvements were completed in 2011 with the construction of an entrance building, museum and ticket office among other things. Also in 2009 a retractable roof was built on Centre Court, allowing play to continue during poor weather and at night.
The Centre Court and Court No. 1 are normally only used for two weeks a year during the Wimbledon Championships, however they can be used for a third week if Wimbledon overruns because of weather issues. The show courts were also used during the 2012 London Olympic Games. One of the courts can also be used for home Great Britain games during the Davis Cup. The rest of the smaller courts are used throughout the year for events hosted by the All England Club.
Wimbledon now remains the only Grand Slam tournament that is played on grass. The Centre Court has a capacity of 15,000 and houses the Royal Box on the south side, where the Royal Family and other special guests can watch the action unfold. The improvements made to Court No. 1 means that it now can hold 11,000, and it’s expected that in the future the All England Club will build a retractable roof for it.