How Wimbledon got its start

A look back at the early days of one of the world’s most beloved sporting affairs

Dorothea Lambert-Chambers.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Kelly Gonsalves
By
published
(Image credit: (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)As the club's name suggests, it was the game of croquet that originally drew nearby suburbanites to the lush four-acre meadowland. But in the 1870s, a new sport w)

(Image credit: (Keystone/Getty Images)Traditionally, different hosts or regions played tennis according to their own game guidelines, but the All England Club established a set of formal rules.As tennis beg)

(Image credit: (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Facing pressure from fans and athletes alike, the club introduced the Ladies' Championship in 1884 — though the women could only compete after the men's games had)

(Image credit: (London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images))

(Image credit: (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images))

(Image credit: (G. Adams/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)Many trademark tennis moves used by the pros — like the overarm serve and lob shot — weren't invented until the turn of the 20th century. The equip)

(Image credit: (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images))

(Image credit: (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images))

(Image credit: (Fox Photos/Getty Images)But the classy flare and festivities associated with Wimbledon today had already begun to show themselves by the turn of the century: outdoor tea parties attended by)

(Image credit: (Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images))

(Image credit: (H F Davis/Getty Images)In 1967, Wimbledon became the first sporting event to be broadcast in color, bringing the exhilarating matches and roaring crowds to audiences all over Britain.The fol)

(Image credit: (Central Press/Getty Images))

(Image credit: (AP Photo))

(Image credit: (Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images))

Kelly Gonsalves
Kelly Gonsalves

Kelly Gonsalves is a sex and culture writer exploring love, lust, identity, and feminism. Her work has appeared at Bustle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and more, and she previously worked as an associate editor for The Week. She's obsessed with badass ladies doing badass things, wellness movements, and very bad rom-coms.

Latest