Wimbledon Timeline

(1877 - Present)

Wimbledon, officially known as The Championships, Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and widely considered the most prestigious. Held annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, it is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments and is famous for its grass courts, all-white dress code, and traditions like strawberries and cream. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Origins and Early Era

All England Croquet Club founded

Jul 23, 1868

The All England Croquet Club was founded in 1868 at Worple Road, Wimbledon, initially dedicated to the game of croquet. It would later become the home of the world's most prestigious tennis tournament.

Image source: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

Wimbledon adopts rectangular court dimensions

Jul 1, 1877

For the first championship, the club standardized the dimensions of the tennis court, establishing the rectangular shape that remains the global standard for the sport to this day.

Image source: Wimbledon Championships

Wimbledon adopts rectangular court dimensions

First lawn tennis championship held at Wimbledon

Jul 9, 1877

The inaugural Wimbledon Championship was held in July 1877 as a fundraiser for a new roller. Spencer Gore won the men's singles title, defeating William Marshall, before an audience of about 200 spectators who paid one shilling each.

Image source: 1877 Wimbledon Championship

Wimbledon moves to Church Road grounds

Jun 26, 1922

In 1922, the championships moved from the cramped Worple Road site to larger grounds on Church Road, featuring the new Centre Court with its iconic stadium design.

Legendary Players

Willie Renshaw wins five consecutive titles

Jul 1, 1881 - Jul 5, 1886

Willie Renshaw dominated early Wimbledon, winning six singles titles including five consecutive championships from 1881 to 1886, a feat that helped popularize lawn tennis in Britain.

Image source: William Renshaw

Doherty brothers dominate Wimbledon

Jul 1, 1897 - Jul 8, 1906

Brothers Reginald and Laurie Doherty combined for eight Gentlemen's Singles titles between 1897 and 1906, spearheading British dominance of the tournament at the turn of the century.

Image source: Reginald Doherty

Suzanne Lenglen transforms women's tennis

Jun 28, 1919 - Jul 4, 1925

French star Suzanne Lenglen won six Wimbledon singles titles between 1919 and 1925, revolutionizing women's tennis with her flamboyant style, athletic play, and fashionable attire.

Image source: Suzanne Lenglen

Fred Perry wins first of three titles

Jul 1, 1934 - Jul 6, 1936

Fred Perry won three consecutive Gentlemen's Singles titles from 1934 to 1936, becoming the last British man to win the Wimbledon singles crown for over seven decades.

Image source: Fred Perry

Don Budge wins first Grand Slam

Jun 27, 1938

American Don Budge captured the 1938 Wimbledon title en route to completing the first Grand Slam in tennis history, winning all four major championships in a single calendar year.

Image source: Don Budge

Althea Gibson becomes first Black champion

Jul 6, 1957 - Jul 5, 1958

Althea Gibson broke racial barriers by winning the Ladies' Singles title in 1957 and again in 1958, becoming the first African American player to win a Wimbledon championship.

Image source: Althea Gibson

Rod Laver completes second Grand Slam

Jul 1, 1969 - Jul 5, 1969

Rod Laver won his fourth Wimbledon singles title in 1969, capping off his second career Grand Slam, a feat unmatched in the open era to this day.

Image source: Rod Laver

Billie Jean King wins sixth singles title

Jun 23, 1975 - Jul 5, 1975

Billie Jean King claimed her record sixth Wimbledon singles championship in 1975, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest champions and advocates in the sport's history.

Image source: Billie Jean King

Borg wins fifth consecutive title

Jul 4, 1980

Björn Borg's 1980 victory marked his fifth straight Wimbledon singles title, matching Willie Renshaw's open-era record of five consecutive championships at the All England Club.

Image source: Björn Borg

Borg and McEnroe epic final

Jul 5, 1980

Björn Borg defeated John McEnroe 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), 8–6 in what is widely regarded as the greatest tennis match ever played, highlighted by the legendary 34-point fourth-set tiebreak.

Navratilova begins record streak

Jun 21, 1982 - Jul 8, 1990

Martina Navratilova won nine Wimbledon singles titles between 1978 and 1990, including six in a row from 1982 to 1987, setting records that still stand among the greatest achievements in tennis.

Image source: Martina Navratilova

Becker becomes youngest male champion

Jul 7, 1985

At just 17 years old, unseeded Boris Becker stunned the tennis world by winning the 1985 Wimbledon title, becoming the youngest-ever male champion and the first German winner.

Image source: Boris Becker

Steffi Graf wins Golden Slam season

Jul 3, 1988

Steffi Graf won her first Wimbledon title in 1988 as part of an unprecedented Golden Slam, capturing all four majors plus Olympic gold in a single calendar year.

Image source: Steffi Graf

Sampras dominates the 1990s

Jul 4, 1993 - Jul 9, 2000

Pete Sampras won seven Wimbledon singles titles in eight years from 1993 to 2000, renowned for his powerful serve and volley game that defined grass-court excellence.

Image source: Pete Sampras

Federer wins record eighth title

Jul 16, 2017

Roger Federer defeated Marin Čilić in the 2017 final to claim his eighth Wimbledon singles title, breaking Pete Sampras and William Renshaw's record of seven championships.

Image source: Roger Federer

Championship Milestones

Ladies' Singles championship introduced

Jul 15, 1884

In 1884, Wimbledon introduced the Ladies' Singles event, won by Maud Watson, marking a major step toward inclusivity at the tournament. The same year saw the addition of Gentlemen's Doubles.

Challenge Round abolished

Jun 26, 1922

Until 1921, the previous year's champion only played in a single Challenge Round match. In 1922, Wimbledon abolished this system, requiring all players, including defending champions, to compete through every round.

Wimbledon suspended during World War II

Sep 1, 1939 - Jun 24, 1946

The championships were cancelled for six years during World War II. Centre Court was damaged by German bombing in October 1940, destroying around 1,200 seats, but was restored after the war.

Kramer and Riggs headline postwar revival

Jun 24, 1946 - Jul 6, 1947

Wimbledon resumed in 1946 with Yvon Petra winning the men's title. Jack Kramer's dominant victories in 1946 and 1947 signaled the return of American power to the tournament.

Open era begins at Wimbledon

Jun 24, 1968 - Jul 6, 1968

In 1968, Wimbledon admitted professional players for the first time, ushering in the open era. Rod Laver won the men's title and Billie Jean King took the women's crown in the landmark edition.

Image source: 1968 Wimbledon Championships

Isner–Mahut longest match in history

Jun 22, 2010 - Jun 24, 2010

John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut 70–68 in the fifth set after 11 hours and 5 minutes of play spread over three days, the longest tennis match ever recorded.

Image source: Isner–Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships

Final set tiebreak rule introduced

Jul 1, 2019

Following the marathon 2018 semifinal between John Isner and Kevin Anderson, Wimbledon introduced a tiebreak at 12–12 in deciding sets, replacing advantage sets that could extend indefinitely.

Modern Era

Centre Court roof installed

May 17, 2009

A retractable roof was completed over Centre Court in 2009, ending rain delays on the showpiece court. Roger Federer and Andy Murray contested the first indoor Centre Court match during the 2009 championships.

Image source: Centre Court

Murray ends British drought

Jul 7, 2013

Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic to win the 2013 Gentlemen's Singles title, becoming the first British men's champion since Fred Perry in 1936 and igniting national celebrations.

Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Apr 1, 2020

For the first time since World War II, the championships were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The All England Club's insurance policy covering pandemics provided significant financial protection.

Electronic line calling replaces all line judges

Jun 28, 2021

The 2021 championships eliminated human line judges entirely, adopting electronic line calling across all courts, ending a centuries-old tradition and modernizing officiating at the tournament.

Key Facts

Wimbledon was first held in 1877 at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club in London, making it the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
It is the only Grand Slam tournament still played on natural grass courts.
Players are required to wear almost entirely white clothing, a strict dress code unique among major tennis tournaments.
The tournament traditionally takes place over two weeks in late June and early July each year.
Strawberries and cream have been a signature spectator treat since the tournament's early days, with tens of thousands of servings sold annually.

Source

This Wimbledon timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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