Wimbledon - All England Club

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The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the only one still played on the game's original surface, grass, which gave the game of lawn tennis its name.

The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the ladies' and gentlemen's singles final, scheduled respectively for the second Saturday and Sunday. Each year, five major events are contested, as well as four junior events and four invitational events.

Wimbledon traditions include the eating of strawberries and cream, drinking Pimms spritzers, royal patronage and a strict dress code for competitors. In 2009, Wimbledon's Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to insure against the possibility of rain delays interrupting Centre Court matches during the tournament.

The main show courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, are normally used only for two weeks a year, during the Championships, but play can extend into a third week in exceptional circumstances. The remaining seventeen courts are regularly used for other events hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The show courts will, however, be pressed into action for the second time in three months in 2012 as Wimbledon will host the tennis events of the 2012 Olympic Games. One of the show courts is also used for home ties of the GB teams in the Davis Cup.

At the northern end of the grounds is a giant television screen on which important matches are broadcast. Fans watch from an area of grass officially known as the Aorangi Terrace. When British players do well at Wimbledon, the hill attracts fans for them, and is often re-named by the press for them: Greg Rusedski's followers convened at "Rusedski Ridge", and Tim Henman has had the hill nicknamed Henman Hill.

Tickets
The majority of Centre, No.1 and No.2 Court tickets are sold in advance via a public ballot. Entry into the ballot does not automatically entitle applicants to tickets for Wimbledon but a place in the draw for tickets.

Getting There
By Bus:
Bus 493 runs from Richmond to Tooting, connecting with the District Line at Southfields, with the Northern Line at South Wimbledon, and with the rail/tram at Wimbledon Station.

By Underground:
Go to Southfields on the District Line or South Wimbledon on the Northern Line, then take Bus 493.

By Rail:
There is a regular train service from London Waterloo to Wimbledon Station. At Wimbledon train station take the 493 bus.

By Tram:
There is a regular tram service from East Croydon to Wimbledon Station

By Car:
There is limited car parking inside the grounds for visitors to Wimbledon.