Wimbledon

The Wimbledon Championship is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It is one of the four annual 'Grand Slam' competitions, along with the French Open, US Open and Australian Open, and the title of 'Wimbledon Champion' is considered to be one of the most prestigious in sport. Wimbledon takes place over two weeks in late June/early July and is held in South West London. The tournament is the only Grand Slam to take place on a grass court.

The Wimbledon Championship was first held in 1877 and consisted of just one event, the men's singles, which was won by Spencer Gore from a field of 22 competitors. Ladies singles and Gentlemen's doubles tournaments were added in 1884, with Ladies and Mixed Doubles competitions being held since 1913. 

The tournament was initially contested by amateur players but, since the start of the 'open era' in 1968, it has been professional. Total prize money for the 2013 event was in excess of £22million. The tournament was first televised in 1937 and has been broadcast by the BBC in the UK ever since. 

In the men's game, the record for the most singles title wins stands at seven and is currently held by three players. William Renshaw of Great Britain dominated the tournament in the 1880s, winning his first title in 1881 and his seventh in 1889, although it is important to note that, at that time, the previous winner automatically qualified for the final in the following year, so his achievements are difficult to compare with modern day winners. Pete Sampras first lifted the title in 1993 and won it every year, except 1996, until 2000. More recently, Roger Federer has also won the title seven times, with his first victory coming in 2003 and his most recent in 2012. The youngest ever winner of the men's title was Boris Becker, who was 17 when he won in 1985.

In the ladies game, Martina Navratilova of the USA stands alone as the most successful singles player having won the title nine times between 1978 and 1990. Navratilova also holds the record for the most consecutive title wins, with six between 1982 and 1987, and the record for the most Ladies doubles wins in the Open Era, with seven between 1976 and 1986. The youngest ever ladies singles winner is Lottie Dod, who won the tournament in 1885 aged 15.

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