The first lawn tennis tournament in Wimbledon was organized by the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club on July 9, 1877, on the outskirts of London. In the first competition, which included only a men's singles tournament, 22 amateurs participated. The prize fund for the winner was a trophy sum of 25 guineas.
Details of the First Tournament
The victory in this first Wimbledon was achieved by the 27-year-old amateur W. Spencer Gore. Tennis has its roots in the French game 'Jeu de Paume' or 'Game of the Palm,' which originated in the 13th century, from which the closed racket sport known as 'real' or 'royal' tennis developed. From this, lawn tennis later formed, becoming popular after the 19th century.
History of the Club's Establishment
The All England Club was founded in 1868 on a four-acre site on the outskirts of London. Initially, the club was created to promote cricket, another form of lawn games, but due to the growing popularity of tennis, a tennis court was also included in the club's facilities.
In 1877, the All England Club published an advertisement in the weekly sports journal 'The Field' about holding a tennis tournament for all amateurs, scheduled to take place starting Monday, July 9. The entry fee was one pound and one shilling. The club acquired a trophy worth 25 guineas and established official rules for tennis, defining a rectangular court measuring 78 feet long and 27 feet wide. A scoring system based on a clock face (15, 30, 40, game) was adopted, along with a rule that the set is won by the first player to win six games, and one player is allowed to commit a fault.
Course of Events and Rule Changes
These decisions, largely thanks to the work of club member Dr. Henry Jones, remain part of modern rules. Although 22 men were registered for the tournament, only 21 players were present on the first day, July 9. The next day, the number of participants decreased from the remaining 11 to six, and then to three. The semi-finals took place on July 12, but the tournament was postponed to free up London's sporting life for cricket matches between Eton and Harrow on Friday and Saturday.
The final, scheduled for Monday, July 16, was cancelled due to rain, which was typical for future Wimbledon tournaments. The match was rescheduled for July 19, and about 200 spectators paid one shilling to watch the contest between Cambridge tennis player William Marshall and Old Harrow player W. Spencer Gore. In the final, which lasted only 48 minutes, Gore maintained his advantage through strong play and defeated Marshall 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Nevertheless, in the second Wimbledon in 1878, Gore could not retain his title, as his net-controlling game became a victim of the innovative lobbing shot developed by his opponent Frank Hade.
Development of the Tournament
In 1884, the women's singles tournament began in Wimbledon, and the first champion was Mod Watson. In the same year, the national men's doubles championship was held for the first time in Wimbledon after several years being held in Oxford. Mixed and women's doubles tournaments started in 1913. By the early 1900s, Wimbledon gained global tournament status, and in 1922, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, as it was then called, moved to the large stadium on Church Road. In the 1950s, many tennis players became professionals, while Wimbledon struggled to maintain its status as an amateur tournament. However, in 1968, Wimbledon accepted professional players and quickly restored its status as one of the leading tennis tournaments in the world.