Wimbledon – History, Results, and Format of the Tennis Tournament

Wimbledon is the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world and is held annually in late June or early July in London, United Kingdom. The world’s oldest tennis tournament emerged in 1877, and until 1922, the winner only had to compete in the final against another finalist.

At first, Wimbledon was attended by the best amateurs because professional players were not permitted to compete. Nonetheless, the situation changed in 1968, marking the beginning of a new era. Grand Slam tournaments like Wimbledon, the US Open, the Australian Open, and the French Open are four major tennis competitions. Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam event of the year, followed by the final Grand Slam, the US Open; besides, Wimbledon is also the only Grand Slam tournament played on grass.

The new Centre Court opened in 1922 and continues to be used till today. Following the 2009 renovation, a roof was added to close the court in case of bad weather. The stadium has a capacity of 14,979 spectators. This court is primarily used for finals and semifinals, as well as early round matches involving top-ranked players. The second most important court, known as “No. 1” opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 12,345 spectators.

Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Format

The Wimbledon tennis tournament consists of five main events, four junior events, and seven invitational events.

Main Events:

• Men’s Singles – 128 tennis players
• Women’s Singles – 128 tennis players
• Men’s Doubles – 64 pairs
• Women’s Doubles – 64 pairs
• Mixed Doubles – 48 pairs

Junior Events:

• Boys’ Singles – 64 tennis players
• Girls’ Singles – 64 tennis players
• Boys’ Doubles – 32 pairs
• Girls’ Doubles – 32 pairs

Matches in the Men’s Singles tournament are played to three winning sets. Men’s Doubles matches will be reduced from three to two sets won beginning in 2023. All other events are played to a maximum of two winning sets. All main and junior events are held in a single-elimination format, with the winner advancing to the next round and the loser being eliminated.

The Men’s Singles tournament begins with 104 players, while the Women’s Singles tournament begins with 108 players. In addition, both tournaments receive eight wildcards, with the remaining spots filled through a pre-tournament qualification process.

Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Prize Money

Monetary prizes for Wimbledon were introduced in 1968 when professional players were allowed to compete. The prize money was initially set at £26,150, with the Men’s Singles winner receiving £2,000 and the Women’s Singles winner receiving £750. Wimbledon and the French Open were the last Grand Slam tournaments to award separate cash prizes to men and women in 2007. At the moment, all Grand Slam tournaments offer the same prize money.

The Wimbledon champion received £700,000 in 2007, and since then, the prize money has risen annually. For the first time, the prize money reached £2 million in 2016. The most money was awarded in 2019: £2.35 million. Due to the pandemic, the tournament was canceled in 2020, and the prize money was reduced to £1.7 million in 2021, with limited attendance. The Wimbledon prize fund was £40.3 million in 2022, and it increased to £44.7 million in 2023. In the same year, the 2023 champion received the largest cash prize of £2.35 million.

Wimbledon: Results

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won Wimbledon in 2023, ending Novak Djokovic’s dominance. Djokovic had won four “Wimbledon” titles in a row and a total of seven in his career, and Rafael Nadal was the latest Spaniard to win the “Wimbledon” in 2010. R. Nadal has won Wimbledon twice in his career. Since the beginning of the new era when the championship was accessible to professional tennis players, Swiss Roger Federer has won Wimbledon the most – eight times. From 1936 to 2013, no British player won the prestigious tournament, but in 2013 and later in 2016, Andy Murray managed to do it.

Rules of other sports

You’ve just learned about Wimbledon tennis tournament. If you want to learn more about other sports and other tournaments, we recommend reading about soccer rules, and beach volleyball.

Results of the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Championship from 2000 onwards:

Wimbledon: Tournament Records