Wimbledon, the world’s oldest tennis tournament, opened yesterday at London’s All England Club, kicking off two weeks of matches headlined by Serena Williams’ return and Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. See storylines here.
First held in 1877 as a fundraiser to replace a broken lawn roller, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam still played on grass. The tournament features 128-player men’s and women’s singles draws, with competitors advancing through a single-elimination bracket. Defending champion Jannik Sinner enters as the men’s favorite after rival Carlos Alcaraz withdrew with a wrist injury. On the women’s side, defending champion Iga Świątek seeks to become the first woman to win back-to-back Wimbledon titles since Serena Williams in 2016.
Wimbledon is also famous for its traditions. Players wear white clothing (see Naomi Osaka’s creative take), fans consume roughly 140,000 servings of strawberries and cream each year, and every tennis ball is stored at 68 degrees to ensure a consistent bounce. Learn about Wimbledon’s quirkiest traditions.
