The British Open is an annual lawn tennis tournament also known as Wimbledon, or the Wimbledon Championships, named after its location in Wimbledon which is in South-West London, England. It is the oldest and most prestigious event in the sport of tennis and is the third tournament of the Grand Slam in tennis.
The first British Open was held in 1877. It was then called the Lawn Tennis Championships , hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It had only male amateur participants. In 1884 separate women's singles and men's doubles tournaments were added. By the turn of the century the British Open had become an increasingly popular international tennis tournament.
In 1922 a new tennis complex was built at Church Road for 14,000 spectators, which helped enlarge the popularity and fame of the Championships. It is the only Grand Slam tournament played on grass. The traditional character of the British Open, like the rule for the players to be clothed in white, and for the public to eat strawberries and cream, give it extra flavour. Wimbledon has its own, often criticized, system for seeding players.
The tournament is held in June/July and normally lasts for three weeks. Four rounds precede the quarter finals, succeeded by the semi finals and final round. The British Open holds separate tournaments simultaneously for men (singles), women (singles), men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. There is also a Wimbledon youth tournament.
The main court is called Centre Court. Court 2 bears the nickname The Graveyard.
The Champions Cup (men) and Bowl (women) have been presented for many years by the Duchess of Kent in a never-changing ceremony. Green and purple are the traditional Wimbledon colours.
Wimbledon Champions since 1877:
2002 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) vs. David Nalbandian[?] (Argentina)
6:1 6:3 6:22001 Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia) vs. Patrick Rafter (Australia)
6:3 3:6 6:3 2:6 9:72000 Pete Sampras (United States) vs. Patrick Rafter (Australia)
6(10):7(12) 7(7):6(5) 6:4 6:21999 Pete Sampras (United States) vs. Andre Agassi (United States)
6:3 6:4 7:51998 Pete Sampras (United States) vs. Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia)
6:7 7:6 6:4 3:6 6:21997 Pete Sampras (United States) vs. Cédric Pioline[?] (France)
6:4 6:2 6:41996 Richard Krajicek (Netherlands) vs. Malivai Washington[?] (United States)
6:3 6:4 6:31995 Pete Sampras (United States) vs. Boris Becker (Germany)
6:7 6:2 6:4 6:21994 Pete Sampras (United States) vs. Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia)
7:6 7:6 6:01993 Pete Sampras (United States) vs. Jim Courier[?] (United States)
7:6 7:6 3:6 6:31992 Andre Agassi (United States) vs. Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia)
6:7 6:4 6:4 1:6 6:41991 Michael Stich[?] (Germany) vs. Boris Becker (Germany)
6:4 7:6 6:41990 Stefan Edberg[?] (Sweden) vs. Boris Becker (Germany)
6:2 6:2 3:6 3:6 6:41989 Boris Becker (Germany) - Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
6:0 7:6 6:41988 Stefan Edberg (Sweden) - Boris Becker (Germany)
4:6 7:6 6:4 6:21987 Pat Cash[?] (Australia) - Ivan Lendl[?] (Czechoslovakia)
7:6 6:2 7:51986 Boris Becker (Germany) - Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia)
6:4 6:3 7:51985 Boris Becker (Germany) - Kevin Curren[?] (United States)
6:3 6:7 7:6 6:41984 John McEnroe[?] (United States) - Jimmy Connors (United States)
6:1 6:1 6:21983 John McEnroe (United States) - Chris J. Lewis (New Zealand)
6:2 6:2 6:21982 Jimmy Connors (United States) - John McEnroe (United States)
3:6 6:3 6:7 7:6 6:41981 John McEnroe (United States) - Björn Borg (Sweden)
4:6 7:6 7:6 6:41980 Björn Borg (Sweden) - John McEnroe (United States)
1:6 7:5 6:3 6:7 8:61979 Björn Borg (Sweden) - Roscoe Tanner[?] (United States)
6:7 6:1 3:6 6:3 6:41978 Björn Borg (Sweden) - Jimmy Connors (United States)
6:2 6:2 6:31977 Björn Borg (Sweden) - Jimmy Connors (United States)
3:6 6:2 6:1 5:7 6:41976 Björn Borg (Sweden) - Ilye Nastase (Romania)
6:4 6:2 9:71975 Arthur Ashe[?] (United States) - Jimmy Connors (United States)
6:1 6:1 5:7 6:41974 Jimmy Connors (United States) - Ken Rosewall (Australia)
6:1 6:1 6:41973 Jan Kodes[?] (Czechoslovakia) - A. Metreveli (USSR)
6:1 9:8 6:31972 Stan Smith[?] (United States) - Ilye Nastase (Romania
4:6 6:3 6:3 4:6 7:51971 John Newcombe[?] (Australia) - Stan Smith (United States)
6:3 5:7 2:6 6:4 6:41970 John Newcombe (Australia) - Ken Rosewall (Australia)
5:7 6:3 6:3 3:6 6:11969 Rod Laver (Australia) - John Newcombe (Australia)
6:4 5:7 6:4 6:41968 Rod Laver (Australia) - Tony Roche[?] (Australia)
6:3 6:4 6:21967 John Newcombe (Australia) - W.P. Bungert
6:3 6:1 6:11966 Manuel Santana[?] - Dennis Ralston
6:4 11:9 6:41965 Roy Emerson[?] - Fred Stolle[?]
6:2 6:4 6:41964 Roy Emerson - Fred Stolle
6:4 12:10 4:6 6:31963 C.R. McKinley - Fred Stolle
9:7 6:1 6:41962 Rod Laver - M.F. Mulligan
6:2 6:2 6:11961 Rod Laver - C.R. McKinley
6:3 6:1 6:41960 Neale Fraser[?] - Rod Laver
6:4 3:6 9:7 7:51959 A.R. Olmedo - Rod Laver
6:4 6:3 6:41958 A.J. Cooper - N.A. Fraser
3:6 6:3 6:4 13:111957 Lew Hoad[?] - A.J. Cooper
6:2 6:1 6:21956 Lew Hoad - Ken Rosewall (Australia)
6:2 4:6 7:5 6:41955 Tony Trabert[?] - K. Nielsen
6:3 7:5 6:11954 Jaroslav Drobny[?] - Ken Rosewall (Australia)
13:11 4:6 6:2 9:71953 E.V. Seixas - K. Nielsen
9:7 6:3 6:41952 Frank Sedgman[?] - J. Drobny
4:6 6:2 6:3 6:21951 R. Savitt - K. McGregor
6:4 6:4 6:41950 J.E. Patty - F.A. Sedgman
6:1 8:10 6:2 6:31949 F.R. Schroeder - J. Drobny
3:6 6:0 6:3 4:6 6:41948 R. Falkenburg - J.E. Bromwich
7:5 0:6 6:2 3:6 7:51947 Jack Kramer[?] - T. Brown
6:1 6:3 6:21946 Y.F.M. Petra - G.E. Brown
6:2 6:4 7:9 5:7 6:41939 Bobby Riggs[?] bt. E.T. Cooke
Ladies's Singles
2002 Venus Williams (United States) - Serena Williams (United States)
6(4):7(7) 3:62001 Venus Williams (United States) - Justine Henin (Belgium)
6:1 3:6 6:02000 Venus Williams (United States) - Lindsay Davenport (United States)
6:3 7(7):6(3)1999 Lindsay Davenport (United States) - Steffi Graf (Germany)
6:4 7:51998 Jana Novotna[?] (Czech Republic) - Nathalie Tauziat[?] (France)
6:4 7:61997 Martina Hingis (Switzerland) - Jana Novotna[?] (Czech Republic)
2:6 6:3 6:31996 Steffi Graf (Germany) - Aranxta Sanchez Vicario[?]
6:3 7:51995 Steffi Graf - Aranxta Sanchez Vicario[?]
4:6 6:1 7:51994 Conchita Martinez[?] - Martina Navratilova
6:4 3:6 6:31993 Steffi Graf - Jana Novotna[?]
7:6 1:6 6:41992 Steffi Graf - Monica Seles[?]
6:2 6:11991 Steffi Graf - Gabriela Sabatini[?]
6:4 3:6 8:61990 Martina Navratilova - Zina Garrison[?]
6:4 6:11989 Steffi Graf - Martina Navratilova
6:2 6:7 6:11988 Steffi Graf - Martina Navratilova
5:7 6:2 6:11987 Martina Navratilova - Steffi Graf
7:5 6:31986 Martina Navratilova - Hana Mandlikova
7:6 6:31985 Martina Navratilova - Chris Evert
4:6 6:3 6:21984 Martina Navratilova - Chris Evert
7:6 6:21983 Martina Navratilova - Andrea Jaeger[?]
6:0 6:31982 Martina Navratilova - Chris Evert
6:1 3:6 6:21981 Chris Evert - Hana Mandlikova
6:2 6:21980 Evonne Goolagong Cawley - Chris Evert
6:1 7:61979 Martina Navratilova - Chris Evert
6:4 6:41978 Martina Navratilova - Chris Evert
2:6 6:4 7:51977 Virginia Wade - Betty Stöve[?]
4:6 6:3 6:11976 Chris Evert - Evonne Goolagong Cawley
6:3 4:6 8:61975 Billie Jean King - Evonne Goolagong Cawley
6:0 6:11974 Chris Evert - Olga Morozova[?]
6:0 6:41973 Billie Jean King - Chris Evert
6:0 7:51972 Billie Jean King - Evonne Goolagong
6:3 6:31971 Evonne Goolagong - Margaret Smith Court
6:4 6:11970 Margaret Smith Court - Billie Jean King
14:12 11:91969 Ann Haydon Jones[?] - Billie Jean King
3:6 6:3 6:21968 Billie Jean King - Judy Dalton Tegart[?]
9:7 7:51967 Billie Jean King - Ann Haydon Jones[?]
6:3 6:41966 Billie Jean King - Maria Bueno[?]
6:3 3:6 6:11965 Margaret Smith - Maria Bueno[?]
6:4 7:51964 Maria Bueno[?] - Margaret Smith
6:4 7:9 6:31963 Margaret Smith - Billie Jean Moffitt
6:3 6:41962 Karen Susman[?] - Vera Sukova[?]
6:4 6:41961 Angela Mortimer[?] - Christine Truman[?]
4:6 6:4 7:51960 Maria Bueno[?] - Sandra Reynolds[?]
8:6 6:01959 Maria Bueno[?] - Darlene Hard[?]
6:4 6:31958 Althea Gibson[?] - Angela Mortimer[?]
8:6 6:21957 Althea Gibson[?] - Darlene Hard[?]
6:3 6:21956 Shirley Fry[?] - Angela Buxton[?]
6:3 6:11955 Louise Brough[?] - Beverly Fleitz[?]
7:5 8:61954 Maureen Connolly - Louise Brough[?]
6:2 7:51953 Maureen Connolly - Doris Hart[?]
8:6 7:51952 Maureen Connolly - Louise Brough[?]
7:5 6:31951 Doris Hart[?] - Shirley Fry[?]
6:1 6:01950 Louise Brough[?] - Margaret Osborne duPont[?]
6:1 3:6 6:11949 Louise Brough[?] - Margaret Osborne duPont[?]
10:8 1:6 10:81948 Louise Brough[?] - Doris Hart[?]
6:3 8:61947 Margaret Osborne[?] - Doris Hart[?]
6:2 6:41946 Pauline Betz[?] - Louise Brough[?]
6:2 6:4
Mens Doubles
Ladies Doubles
Mix Doubles
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