Wimbledon, the oldest tennis competition in the world, gets underway from June 30th for the 138th time.
Widely considered the most prestigious tennis event, Wimbledon is known for its quirky rules, indulgent snacks and the creation of legends.
Below is everything you need to know about the biggest tennis tournament of the summer.
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What is Wimbledon?
Wimbledon is the British edition of the four Major tennis tournaments hosted every year by the ATP Professional Tennis Tour. Others, The Australian, US and French Open, are played on clay and hard courts, while Wimbledon is the only Major still played on the traditional grass surface.
It is hosted at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London, and has been played since 1877, every year attracting huge crowds that flock to see the best tennis players in the world.
As well as being the oldest tennis tournament in existence, Wimbledon was also the birthplace of the modern game, with rules that have remained largely unchanged since 1877.
Today, the tournament is made up of 128 men and 128 women, featuring men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles tournaments. The men’s singles and women’s singles are the most watched of the tournament, the final of which is held at the famed Centre Court with a crowd of almost 15,000 in attendance.
Where and when is the Wimbledon Championship being played?
Wimbledon will begin on the Monday 30th June and will last two weeks, with the men’s singles final on Sunday 13th July.
The competition takes place at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, situated in the south-west of London, England.
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Who are the previous winners of Wimbledon?
Previous winners of Wimbledon include the famous English victor, Fred Perry, who won the title between 1934-36. Andy Murray was the next British player to win 77 years later in 2013, while recently retired Swiss maestro Roger Federer won the title eight times, making him the second-most successful Wimbledon player ever and the second-most successful male player behind Novak Djokovic.
The most successful Wimbledon player of all time is Martina Navratilova, who won nine championships in her career. The world number one for 332 weeks and the doubles number one for 237 weeks, she is the only player ever to hold both positions for over 200 weeks. Alongside her nine singles titles she also won seven doubles championships at Wimbledon.
Many other greats have tasted victory on the grass at Centre Court, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Billie Jean King.
The pot for the 2024 tournament was £50 million, with the men’s and women’s winners taking home £2.7 million each.
What are the odds for Wimbledon?
Men’s Singles
Carlos Alcaraz is the current market leader at 5/6 to pick up three consecutive wins on the grass this summer. Alcaraz flew onto the scene three years ago and has already been compared to many of the greats, with four Grand Slam wins to his name aged 22. He beat Novak Djokovic in emphatic fashion here in the final two years ago to deny him his eighth Wimbledon title and did so again in straight sets last year to go back-to-back.
The Italian Jannik Sinner is the second-favourite to lift the Wimbledon trophy this summer at 2/1 ahead of the aforementioned Djokovic at 7/1.
Women’s Singles
Topping the list for the women is Aryna Sabalenka at 11/4, who won two Grand Slam titles last year, and made the final in the Australian Open earlier this year unsuccessfully defending the crown she’d held for two years. She’s yet to reach a final at Wimbledon but looks to be improving year on year.
The two trailing Sabalenka in the market are Iga Świątek and Elena Rybakina, both at 5/1.
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