Written by Sofia
For two weeks every summer, the tennis world wears white. No clay red, no hardcourt blue — just freshly cut English grass, strawberries and cream, and a set of unwritten rules that nobody has dared touch in over 140 years. Wimbledon isn’t just the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It’s its own little republic, running on its own terms. Here’s everything you need to know about the only grass Grand Slam — the history, the quirks, and a few facts that’ll genuinely surprise you.
Here’s the best part: the most prestigious tournament in the sport only exists because of a broken lawn roller. Back in 1877, the All England Croquet Club was exactly that — a croquet club. Tennis had barely been invented. When the pony-drawn roller gave up the ghost and there was no money to fix it, someone had a bright idea: host a public lawn tennis tournament, charge a shilling at the door. Twenty-two men showed up to play, about 200 spectators came to watch, and the final had to be pushed back because a cricket match between Eton and Harrow took priority. The winner, Spencer Gore, thought the whole thing was a bit dull and predicted tennis would never catch on.
Spoiler: it caught on. Women’s singles arrived in 1884, and by 1899 “Lawn Tennis” had leapfrogged “Croquet” in the club’s own name. What started as a fundraising fix for a busted piece of equipment became the benchmark every player measures themselves against.
Wimbledon is the only tournament in the world where players don’t get to choose what they wear. The dress code is famously ruthless: “almost entirely white” — and we mean white, not cream, not off-white. Even underwear has to comply. Coloured soles? Banned. One stripe that’s a shade too teal and you’re being sent back to the locker room to change.
Think anyone’s negotiated their way around it? Think again. Andre Agassi skipped the tournament entirely in the late ’80s as a protest against the all-white rule. It wasn’t until 2023 that the first real relaxation in decades arrived — players can now wear dark undershorts, a long-overdue nod to athletes managing their periods on court.
Strawberries, Pimm’s & the Queue That Has Its Own Rulebook
Some traditions you can taste. Over the course of the fortnight, the crowd gets through nearly two million strawberries — served the exact same way they always have been, with cream, no fuss. Add a glass of Pimm’s and you’ve got the most British afternoon imaginable.
And then there’s The Queue — a line so legendary it has its own official code of conduct, its own pamphlet, and its own honour system. No ticket? You camp out overnight in the park next door and wait your turn. The rule: if you leave your spot, you’ve got 30 minutes to get back. Queuing patiently for tennis. Couldn’t be more British if it tried.
Trophies With Stories to Tell
Even the hardware has history. The Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy has been topped with a gilded pineapple since 1887 — nobody’s entirely sure why (theories range from colonial luxury symbol to old seafaring tradition). The women’s champion lifts the Venus Rosewater Dish, an intricately engraved silver plate covered in figures from Greek mythology. Neither trophy goes home with the winner, by the way — champions get miniature replicas, and the originals stay in the club.
Records That Aren’t Going Anywhere Soon
- Roger Federer won eight men’s singles titles between 2003 and 2017 — the all-time record. William Renshaw, Pete Sampras, and Novak Djokovic are all sitting on seven.
- Martina Navratilova is the undisputed queen of the grass with nine titles between 1978 and 1990. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams are both on seven.
- The longest match in tennis history happened in the first round in 2010. John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut after 11 hours and 5 minutes spread across three days — the fifth set alone finished 70–68. That marathon is one of the main reasons a final-set tiebreak now exists.
- Iga Swiatek made history in 2025 with a 6–0, 6–0 demolition of Amanda Anisimova in the final — the first “double bagel” in a women’s Wimbledon final since 1911. She also became the first Polish player ever to win the title.
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Old Traditions, New Technology
For all its conservatism, Wimbledon has been quietly modernising behind the scenes. In 2025, one of the tournament’s oldest constants disappeared for good: after nearly 148 years, human line judges were scrapped entirely. Now 450 high-speed cameras handle every in-or-out call through Electronic Line Calling — the famous “Out!” shout now comes from a speaker.
The roof situation has also changed the game completely. Centre Court got a retractable roof in 2009, Court No.1 followed in 2019 — rain delays that used to swallow entire days are basically a thing of the past. And the beloved “Middle Sunday,” the traditional rest day at the tournament’s halfway point, was scrapped in 2022. These days, play runs all 14 days straight.
Three Brilliant Wimbledon Curiosities
- Rufus the hawk: To keep pigeons off the immaculate grass, a Harris hawk named Rufus patrols the grounds every morning. He has an official club pass — and his own social media account.
- 77 years of waiting: Between Fred Perry’s win in 1936 and Andy Murray’s triumph in 2013, Britain went 77 years without a men’s singles champion. When it finally happened, the whole country stopped.
- The bow is gone: Until 2003, every player had to bow or curtsy to the Royal Box. These days it only applies if the King or the Prince of Wales is actually in attendance.
Where Tennis Becomes Tradition
No other tournament blends history, etiquette, and sheer stubbornness quite like Wimbledon. The grass demands fast, flat tennis. The near-silence on court turns every point into a ritual. That combination of reverence and raw tension is exactly what makes it so irresistible to watch — and why the oldest tennis tournament in the world still feels like the biggest.
