Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Wimbledon Championships

The past couple weeks I have found myself quite attached to the Wimbledon Championships. It is the first time I have followed this prestigious tennis tournament from beginning to end. I suppose I've found myself quite bored with baseball and the off season of football and soccer. Therefore a major world tournament such is this has been a great new summer discovery for me.

The Sport of Tennis

I've always enjoyed the sport of tennis, yet hardly get to play it as much as I would like. I suppose this is because I've yet to find a partner at my level (besides Gabriel who never wants to play with me). I also hardly ever follow the majors on a regular basis, and am just familiar with some of the big names in the game such as Federer, Nadal, and Serena Williams. I have been learning quite a lot this week on the history and format of some of the most prestigious tennis tournaments.


Grand Slams of Tennis

The top 4 most prestigious tennis tournaments are known as the Grand Slams, also referred to as the Majors. This includes the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open. The reason these events are so prestigious is because they are the oldest tournaments in the sport, having each been founded in the 1880-1900s. The annual calendar of the Grand Slams begins with the Australian Open in January, the French Open in May, Wimbledon in July, and the US Open in September. These four tournaments make up the Grand Slam and the order of their prestige is debatable however I believe Wimbledon to be the top crown of them all.


Wimbledon Championships 

Location: Wimbledon, London, UK
Founded: 1877 (Oldest tennis tournament)
Grounds: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Tournament Format: 128 players qualified based on rankings and wildcards. The top 32 players are seeded based on performances in prior major tournaments. Players face off in a single elimination bracket style tournament. There are 7 rounds of games to reach the final match.

Significance: It is the World Cup of tennis tournaments, being the oldest and most prestigious of them all. It is the 3rd tournament on the annual Grand Slam tournament, held in early July. The event is a British heirloom, regarded for it's formal and traditional format. The players have a strict dress code of wearing all white. The tournament is played on 18 grass courts. The center court hosts the larger matches and seats nearly 16,000.


Year
Men's Champion
Women's Champion
1877
Spencer Gore

1878
Frank Hadow

1879
John Hartley

1880
John Hartley

1881
William Renshaw

1882
William Renshaw

1883
William Renshaw

1884
William Renshaw
Maud Watson
1885
William Renshaw
Maud Watson
1886
William Renshaw
Blanche Bingley Hillyard
1887
Herbert Lawford
Lottie Dod
1888
Ernest Renshaw
Lottie Dod
1889
William Renshaw
Blanche Bingley Hillyard
1890
Willoughby Hamilton
Lena Rice
1891
Wilfred Baddeley
Lottie Dod
1892
Wilfred Baddeley
Lottie Dod
1893
Joshua Pim
Lottie Dod
1894
Joshua Pim
Blanche Bingley Hillyard
1895
Wilfred Baddeley
Charlotte Cooper Sterry
1896
Harold Mahoney
Charlotte Cooper Sterry
1897
Reginald Doherty
Blanche Bingley Hillyard
1898
Reginald Doherty
Charlotte Cooper Sterry
1899
Reginald Doherty
Blanche Bingley Hillyard
1900
Reginald Doherty
Blanche Bingley Hillyard
1901
Arthur Gore
Charlotte Cooper Sterry
1902
Lawrence Doherty
Muriel Robb
1903
Lawrence Doherty
Dorothea Lambert Chambers
1904
Lawrence Doherty
Dorothea Lambert Chambers
1905
Lawrence Doherty
May Sutton
1906
Lawrence Doherty
Dorothea Lambert Chambers
1907
Norman Brookes
May Sutton
1908
Arthur Gore
Charlotte Cooper-Sterry
1909
Arthur Gore
Dora Boothby
1910
Anthony Wilding
Dorothea Lambert Chambers
1911
Anthony Wilding
Dorothea Lambert Chambers
1912
Anthony Wilding
Ethel Thomson Larcombe
1913
Anthony Wilding
Dorothea Lambert Chambers
1914
Norman Brookes
Dorothea Lambert Chambers
1915-18
Cancelled Due to World War I
1919
Gerald Patterson
Suzanne Lenglen
1920
Bill Tilden
Suzanne Lenglen
1921
Bill Tilden
Suzanne Lenglen
1922
Gerald Patterson
Suzanne Lenglen
1923
Bill Johnston
Suzanne Lenglen
1924
Jean Borotra
Kitty McKane Godfree
1925
René Lacoste
Suzanne Lenglen
1926
Jean Borotra
Kitty McKane Godfree
1927
Henri Cochet
Helen Wills Moody
1928
René Lacoste
Helen Wills Moody
1929
Henri Cochet(2)
Helen Wills Moody
1930
Bill Tilden
Helen Wills Moody
1931
Sidney Wood
Cilly Aussem
1932
Ellsworth Vines
Helen Wills Moody
1933
Jack Crawford
Helen Wills Moody
1934
Fred Perry
Dorothy Round Little
1935
Fred Perry
Helen Wills Moody
1936
Fred Perry
Helen Jacobs
1937
Don Budge
Dorothy Round Little
1938
Don Budge
Helen Wills Moody
1939
Bobby Riggs
Alice Marble
1940-45
Cancelled Due to World War II
1946
Yvon Petra
Pauline Betz Addie
1947
Jack Kramer
Margaret Osborne duPont
1948
Bob Falkenburg
Louise Brough Clapp
1949
Ted Schroeder
Louise Brough Clapp
1950
Budge Patty
Louise Brough Clapp
1951
Dick Savitt
Doris Hart
1952
Frank Sedgman
Maureen Connolly Brinker
1953
Vic Seixas
Maureen Connolly Brinker
1954
Jaroslav Drobný
Maureen Connolly Brinker
1955
Tony Trabert
Louise Brough Clapp
1956
Lew Hoad
Shirley Fry Irvin
1957
Lew Hoad
Althea Gibson
1958
Ashley Cooper
Althea Gibson
1959
Alex Olmedo
Maria Bueno
1960
Neale Fraser
Maria Bueno
1961
Rod Laver
Angela Mortimer Barrett
1962
Rod Laver
Karen Hantze Susman
1963
Chuck McKinley
Margaret Smith Court
1964
Roy Emerson
Maria Bueno
1965
Roy Emerson
Margaret Smith Court
1966
Manolo Santana
Billie Jean King
1967
John Newcombe
Billie Jean King
1968
Rod Laver
Billie Jean King
1969
Rod Laver
Ann Haydon Jones
1970
John Newcombe
Margaret Smith Court
1971
John Newcombe
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
1972
Stan Smith
Billie Jean King
1973
Jan Kodeš
Billie Jean King
1974
Jimmy Connors
Chris Evert
1975
Arthur Ashe
Billie Jean King
1976
Björn Borg
Chris Evert
1977
Björn Borg
Virginia Wade
1978
Björn Borg
Martina Navrátilová
1979
Björn Borg
Martina Navrátilová
1980
Björn Borg
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
1981
John McEnroe
Chris Evert
1982
Jimmy Connors
Martina Navrátilová
1983
John McEnroe
Martina Navrátilová
1984
John McEnroe
Martina Navrátilová
1985
Boris Becker
Martina Navrátilová
1986
Boris Becker
Martina Navrátilová
1987
Pat Cash
Martina Navrátilová
1988
Stefan Edberg
Steffi Graf
1989
Boris Becker
Steffi Graf
1990
Stefan Edberg
Martina Navrátilová
1991
Michael Stich
Steffi Graf
1992
Andre Agassi
Steffi Graf
1993
Pete Sampras
Steffi Graf
1994
Pete Sampras
Conchita Martínez
1995
Pete Sampras
Steffi Graf
1996
Richard Krajicek
Steffi Graf
1997
Pete Sampras
Martina Hingis
1998
Pete Sampras
Jana Novotná
1999
Pete Sampras
Lindsay Davenport
2000
Pete Sampras
Venus Williams
2001
Goran Ivaniševic
Venus Williams
2002
Lleyton Hewitt
Serena Williams
2003
Roger Federer
Serena Williams
2004
Roger Federer
Maria Sharapova
2005
Roger Federer
Venus Williams
2006
Roger Federer
Amélie Mauresmo
2007
Roger Federer
Venus Williams
2008
Rafael Nadal
Venus Williams
2009
Roger Federer
Serena Williams
2010
Rafael Nadal
Serena Williams
2011
Novak Djokovic
Petra Kvitová
2012
Roger Federer
Serena Williams
2013
Andy Murray
Marion Bartoli
2014
Novak Djokovic
Petra Kvitová
2015
Novak Djokovic
Serena Williams
2016
Andy Murray
Serena Williams






Male Multiple Champions
PlayerOpen EraAmateur EraAll-timeYears
 William Renshaw (BRI)0771881188218831884188518861889
 Pete Sampras (USA)7071993199419951997199819992000
 Roger Federer (SUI)7072003200420052006200720092012
 Björn Borg (SWE)50519761977197819791980
 Laurence Doherty (BRI)05519021903190419051906
 Reginald Doherty (BRI)0441897189818991900
 Rod Laver (AUS)2241961196219681969
 Anthony Wilding (NZL)0441910191119121913
 Wilfred Baddeley (BRI)033189118921895
 Boris Becker (GER)303198519861989
 Novak Djokovic (SRB)303201120142015
 Arthur Gore (BRI)033190119081909
 John McEnroe (USA)303198119831984
 John Newcombe (AUS)213196719701971
 Fred Perry (GBR)033193419351936
 Bill Tilden (USA)033192019211930
 Jean Borotra (FRA)02219241926
 Norman Brookes (AUS)02219071914
 Don Budge (USA)02219371938
 Henri Cochet (FRA)02219271929
 Jimmy Connors (USA)20219741982
 Stefan Edberg (SWE)20219881990
 Roy Emerson (AUS)02219641965
 John Hartley (BRI)02218791880
 Lew Hoad (AUS)02219561957
 René Lacoste (FRA)02219251928
 Andy Murray (GBR)20220132016
 Rafael Nadal (ESP)20220082010
 Gerald Patterson (AUS)02219191922
 Joshua Pim (IRL)02218931894

Female Multiple champions

PlayerAmateur EraOpen EraAll-timeYears
 Martina Navratilova (USA)[i]099197819791982198319841985198619871990
 Helen Wills Moody (USA)80819271928192919301932193319351938
 Dorothea Lambert Chambers (UK)7071903190419061910191119131914
 Steffi Graf (GER)0771988198919911992199319951996
 Serena Williams (USA)0772002200320092010201220152016
 Blanche Bingley (UK)606188618891894189718991900
 Suzanne Lenglen (FRA)606191919201921192219231925
 Billie Jean King (USA)246196619671968197219731975
 Charlotte Cooper Sterry (UK)50518951896189819011908
 Lottie Dod (UK)50518871888189118921893
 Venus Williams (USA)05520002001200520072008
 Louise Brough Clapp (USA)4041948194919501955
 Maureen Connolly (USA)303195219531954
 Maria Bueno (BRA)303195919601964
 Margaret Court (AUS)213196319651970
 Chris Evert (USA)033197419761981
 Althea Gibson (USA)20219571958
 Kitty McKane Godfree (UK)20219241926
 May Sutton Bundy (USA)20219051907
 Maud Watson (UK)20218841885
 Evonne Goolagong Cawley (AUS)02219711980
 Petra Kvitová (CZE)02220112014

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