GRANDSLAM HISTORY

Reference Book.  1877 - 2021

In 1877 on the area of the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club the history of the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world began. It's first ground was situated off Worple Road, Wimbledon. The competition had only 22 male participants and the first winner was Spencer GORE. The Men's Doubles event was added in 1879, Women's Singles in 1884, and the Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles in 1913. In 1905 May SUTTON of the United States became the first Women's Singles overseas winner and Norman BROOKES of Australia in 1907 won first Men's Singles as international player.

In 1922 new ground in Church Road was opened by King George V. New Centre Court had a capacity of 14 thousand people. The Royal Box of Centre Court seats 75 people and is used for royalty and celebrities, who got official invitation from the Chairman of the Club. In 2009 the new retractable roof was built on Centre Court which enable all weather play during The Championships. In 2010 the longest match in tennis history took place at Wimbledon. John ISNER of USA beat Nicolas MAHUT of France 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68 after a record 11 hours, 5 minutes spread over three days. In 2020, the Wimbledon championships were canceled for the first time since World War Two due to coronavirus pandemic.

In 1883, William RENSHAW won the original Field Cup (that was introduced in 1877) for the third time, which entitled him to keep the trophy. In 1884-1886, Renshaw again won Wimbledon single title 3 times meaning that he took home the next trophy - Challenge Cup - as well. The All England Tennis Club decided that it was getting expensive to keep replacing the trophy, so it was decided that the new trophy would remain with the club. The Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy was crafted by silverware company Elkington in 1883 before being purchased by the All England Lawn Tennis club for 100 guineas in 1886. In 1887, the new trophy won Herbert LAWFORD. the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy is made of silver gilt and the trophy is 18 inches high with a diameter of 7.5 inches. The champions receive a three-quarter size replica of the trophy. Around the trophy are engraved the dates and names of the previous winners. In 2009, there was no more space left to engrave the dates and names so a black plinth with an ornamented silver band was designed to accompany the trophy.

The Wimbledon trophy for the Ladies Single Championship is a silver plate, also known as the Venus Rosewater Dish. It was made in Birmingham in 1864 by the city's silversmiths Elkington and Co. The trophy is a copy of a large pewter dish which is currently on display in the White Drawing Room in the Louvre. The theme of reproduction's decoration is related to not tennis but Classical mythology. In 1886, the trophy was first won by Blanche BINGLEY. She won six singles Wimbledon championships and was runner up seven times. Each year the Wimbledon Ladies Singles champion receives a smaller version of the dish. From 1949 to 2006 all winners have received a miniature replica of the trophy (diameter 8 inches), and from 2007 all Champions have received a three-quarter replica of the trophy, bearing the names of all past Champions (diameter 14 inches). The names of the winners from 1884 to 1957 are inscribed on the inside of the dish with the names of 1958 to present on the outside.