My family has always loved
sports, some of us prefer cricket and some are passionate about soccer news,
but what draws the entire family to the TV is no doubt –Tennis. It was during
one of those nerve wrecking moments that my three year old wanted to know about
the genesis of Wimbledon. As I opened my
mouth to wax lyrical about how it all began at Wimbledon, I was startled to
realize that I had no clue! Hence my little dig into the past and this humble
attempt at keying some interesting tidbits for the tennis fans.
The Wimbledon story says that
since the Middle ages, monks and kings are believed to have played a game that
was a lot like tennis. However, it was the 19th century by the time
tennis acquired the form we recognize today. In about 1873, an Englishman
adapted the indoor tennis to be played on grass, giving it a tongue twister of
a name “sphairistike” after a Greek game.
The game quickly grew in popularity but the burning question was -how it
was to be played? The All England Croquet
Club located near Wimbledon decided to answer this by holding the first tennis
championship. The real reason behind this championship was to raise money to
buy a pony drawn roller for its croquet lawns! Never would the organizers of
this championship have dreamt that within some years, those very same croquet
lawns would be all but obsolete, with tennis becoming the fore runner with the
world agog for the latest tennis
news!
This Championship saw a young 27
year old local surveyor, Spencer Gore taking the first gentlemen’s single title
in 1877. In a final that was delayed for days by rain, Gore easily won the
match in less than 50 minutes before a crowd of 200 spectators who had paid a
shilling each to watch the match. What was most surprising is the fact that the
first champion wasn’t too impressed with the game himself, he much preferred
cricket over it. What’s more, he was of the opinion that lawn tennis was a bit
borings and would not catch on!
Tennis, however, didn’t only
“catch on”, it soon spread like wild fire. The All England Croquet Club went on
to drop the “Croquet” out of their name, but for sentimental reasons, it was
restored. Even today, among the lush tennis lawns, there exists a croquet lawn.
The Wimbledon Championship is the
oldest tennis championship in the world and is informally known as the “British
Opens.” It is considered the most prestigious and the biggest of all tennis
tournaments, and has witnessed great tennis action immortalized forever in the
form of some amazing sports
videos. Wimbledon remains the only one Major, where the game is still
played on grass, the original surface of the game which gave its name of “lawn
tennis”. Some traditions which mark this Championship, setting it apart from
all other championships is the eating of strawberries and cream by the
spectators and Royals, a strict dress code for the competitors and a distinct
lack of sponsorship advertising around the court.
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