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London 2012 Olympics Guidance, News and Information

About Wimbledon (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club)

Official site
http://www.wimbledon.org/

Capacity: 30,000

Location: W19

Status
The existing stands will be upgraded to seat 30,000 during the Olympics. A retractile roof, which will be installed before the 2009 Wimbledon Championships, is another addition for the games. These facilities will remain a part of the venue after the Olympics.

About Wimbledon

The venue was initially known as The All England Croquet Club, which was founded in 1868. It came to be known as All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 1877 and organised the first lawn tennis championship with the sole purpose of purchasing a pony-drawn roller for its croquet lawns. John Walsh, an English writer on sports, rented four acres of land for £50 and together with his five friends founded The All England Lawn Tennis Club.

The entrance fee for a player to compete in the tournament was £1 and 1shilling. The first tournament was won by W. Spencer Gore when he defeated W. Marshall, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. The first prize was a princely 12 guineas and a silver cup valued at 25 guineas. The entrance fee to the finals was one shilling, which was watched by 200 brave fans who defied dreary weather conditions and watched the match in standing position as the stands were yet to be built. Surprisingly, Mr. Gore, who was more of a cricket fan, had predicted that lawn tennis would never be a popular sport. In 1877, only underarm service was allowed, and players had to wear shoes without heels, and some of them even chose to wear a tie and hat.

The club was earlier located at Worple Road, which shifted its base to the present site in 1922. King George laid the new ground open. Also coinciding with the shifting to Church Road was an end to a tradition whereby the reigning champion was allowed to play only in the final against whoever had won through to challenge him.

The familiar colour combination of dark green and purple at the courts and the club building was put together in 1909. The Centre Court was built in 1922. However, the name did not have any relevance to its actual location until 1980, when four new courts were added around Centre Court, and later the addition of No. 1 Court in 1997 further accentuated the description.

Ms Maud Watson became the first Ladies' Singles champion in1884 in the category's inaugural match. Gentlemen's Doubles, which was played at Oxford University Club between 1879 and 1883, was shifted to Wimbledon in 1884. A remarkable coincidence of twins, Ernest and William Renshaw, playing as doubles partners, attracted huge crowds and added to Wimbledon's popularity. This necessitated the construction of permanent stands, which replaced the temporary accommodation. The Renshaws won the title 13 times between 1881 and 1889. Wimbledon made its presence felt internationally when May Sutton of the United States became the first overseas Ladies' Singles champion in 1905.

The championships were suspended during the World War II. However, the club premises remained open and served a different purpose. It housed fire and ambulance services, Home Guards and a decontamination unit. The Centre Court was badly damaged in 1940 when the Germans bombed the area.

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and the Kenneth Ritchie Library took shape in 1977 as a part of centenary celebrations.

Enhancement of facilities for the spectators has been a constant process at Wimbledon. With a view to accommodate more spectators at the Centre Court, in 1984 the roof was raised one metre, and 1088 additional seats were added. Media facilities were upgraded and the administrative staff were provided new offices with the opening of the East Side building of the Centre Court. 800 extra seats, too, were added.

The Centre Court underwent a massive transformation in 1992, when a structure resting on four pillars replaced the original 1922 roof, giving spectators the pleasure of unrestricted view. Since 2007, this roof is also being replaced by a retractable roof, which is being installed at the centre court to enable an uninterrupted play during the championships despite inclement weather. The current capacity of 13,500 at the Centre Court will be increased to 15,000 by 2009.

The No.1 court is located to the north of Centre Court and has a capacity to accommodate 11,429 spectators. The latest version was opened in 1997.

Another area called the Aorangi Terrace or Henman Hill was added in 1982 to accommodate fans who are unable to get the show-court tickets. A giant television screen, which is on the side of Court Number One, encapsulates every moment of the tournament, and the spectators also get a chance to take part in interesting interviews. In 1986, a two storey pavilion was erected at the Aorangi.

The 32 tennis courts at the club ground include 19 grass courts, five red shale, three clay and five indoor courts. During the championships, players can practise on other 22 grass courts and two acrylic courts.

One of the most popular Wimbledon traditions is the serving of strawberries and cream during the championships. Over 27,000 kilos of strawberries are consumed along with 2000 gallons of cream each year by the spectators.