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Ask any tennis fan what the world's most prestigious tennis tournament is, and they'll almost certainly answer Wimbledon without blinking an eye. And they'd be right. The Championships is a grass tennis tournament held each year from the middle of June to the beginning of July at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon, hence the name Wimbledon.
Wimbledon History
In fact, the first ever Wimbledon tennis tournament took place in 1877 in the form of Gentlemen's Singles, which drew some 22 players and was won by Spencer Gore. It attracted over 200 spectators, no doubt some of whom wagered on the outcome. And so the world's most famous tennis tournament was born, as well as what would become a thriving Wimbledon betting industry.
In 1884 Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles were added to the Wimbledon lineup, as were Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles in 1913. Wimbledon was televised for the first time in 1937 and remained an amateur event until 1968, when it became the professional event it is today. In fact, in 2010 both the male and female Wimbledon singles champions each won £1,100,000.
Wimbledon is a single-elimination tournament, which means players are eliminated the first time they lose. Gentlemen's Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles are played up to five sets (best-of-five) while all other events are played up to three sets (best-of-three). If the score reaches 6-6 in any set except the last set, a tiebreak ensues. But in the final set, the winner must win by two games. This rule led to an incredible match in 2010 between John isner and Nicolas Mahut where the final set was won by Isner 70-68. It was only a mens' first round singles match but it is part of Wimbledon tennis history as the longest match ever played (11 hours on the court over 3 days).
Wimbledon Greats
Over the years Wimbledon betting fans have had a wide choice tennis greats and highly anticipated matchups to bet on. Some of Wimbledon's best known champions include Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker, Pat Cash, Steffie Graf, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and many more.
Post 1968, American Pete Sampras holds the record for the most number of Wimbledon men's singles titles (7), while American Martina Navrátilová holds the record for the most number of Wimbledon women's singles titles (9).
Wimbledon has often been described as the 'Mecca' of professional tennis tournaments, and for good reason considering it's been around since 1877, and has spawned some of the most exciting tennis matches, rivalries and betting opportunities over the decades.
