SSWimbledon 2026

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is the home of the Wimbledon British Tennis Championships, which run from Monday, 29th June – Sunday, 12th July 2026. The Club was founded on 23^rd July 1868 as the All England Croquet Club. After a few name changes, it became known as The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Limited in August 2011. The first Wimbledon Championships took place in 1877, making it the oldest tennis championship in the world. When it began, Men’s Singles was the only event, but this was soon followed by Ladies’ Singles, Men’s and Ladies’ Doubles tournaments.

The Championships

The Championships begin with two days of Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles matches. In total, 128 players are entered into both the Gentlemen’s Singles and Ladies’ Singles competitions.

Wednesday 1^st July sees the start of Gentlemen’s and Ladies Doubles, followed by Mixed Doubles on Friday 3^rd July. Junior Championships (18 and under) begin on Saturday, 4th July, and the second week hosts competitions for wheelchair competitors and juniors aged 14 and under.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club is a private members’ club with courts being used all year round – except the grass courts, which are used from May to September. The club has a capacity for 42,000 spectators across the 42-acre site, which must be maintained to the highest standard. Ground staff work year-round to maintain the courts and ensure they remain of the highest quality. The grass on the courts is cut to exactly 8mm to ensure the very best tennis. The All England Lawn Tennis Club is a private members club with courts being used all year round – except the grass courts which are used from May to September. However, Centre Court and other Show Courts are only used for the Championships.

Wimbledon is one of four Grand Slam tournaments which include the Australian Open, Roland-Garros (French Open) and the US Open.

Presitge

These are the most prestigious events in professional tennis, each having its own rich history and traditions. The name Grand Slam refers to the accomplishment of winning all four major championships in the same calendar season. Swiss player Roger Federer holds the Men’s record of winning eight Wimbledon Singles titles while Czech-American Martina Navratilova holds the record for the most Ladies’ Singles titles, including the overall most Wimbledon Singles titles won, achieving an incredible nine titles! German Boris Becker is the youngest ever winner of the Men’s Singles title, winning Wimbledon in 1985 when he was only 17, and Swiss Martina Hingis is the youngest Ladies’ Singles winner at the age of 16 in 1997.

Dress Codes

Since 1909, green and purple have been the official colours of the tournament after it was discovered that the previous Club colours of blue, yellow, red and green were very similar to those of the Royal Marines. Her Royal Highness, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been the patron of the Club since 2016 and often dresses in the official colours when attending and presenting prizes at Wimbledon.

The Championships have a strict white dress code. Players must wear appropriate tennis clothing, which must be white. They are only allowed a single trim of colour, no wider than one centimetre (10mm), around the neckline, cuffs, or side seam of shorts, skirts, and tracksuit bottoms. This rule also applies to caps, headbands, bandanas, wristbands and socks. Shoes must also be almost entirely white, with soles and laces completely white. Large, coloured manufacturers’ logos are discouraged.

For spectators, a smart/casual dress code is in place, such as blazers, smart trousers and a collared shirt for men and dresses, jumpsuits or tailored trouser suits for women. If you are fortunate enough to be in the Royal Box or certain hospitality areas, more formal dressing is required. Ripped jeans, running vests, scruffy trainers, sportswear and clothing with offensive or political slogans are prohibited. Large hats, which may block the view of other spectators, are also not permitted.

New Balls Please!

During the Championships approximately 55,000 tennis balls are used. The balls are kept in a refrigerator at a constant temperature of 20^oC to ensure they stay in tip top condition until they are ready to be used. They are replaced every seven to nine games to make sure they are in perfect shape. Originally, white tennis balls were used in the tournament, but these were replaced with yellow balls in 1986 as they were more visible for television viewers.

French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard recorded the fastest-ever serve at Wimbledon 2025, at 153 mph (246 km/h), during his first-round defeat to Taylor Fritz, breaking the long-standing Wimbledon record of 148 mph (238 km/h) set by American Taylor Dent in 2010. The fastest serve in the Ladies’ Singles was recorded by Venus Williams who recorded a speed of 129 mph (207.6 km/h) in 2008.

Henman Hill or Murray Mound?

The hill is officially known as Aorangi Terrace, the Māori word for Aoraki (the highest mountain in New Zealand), dating back to when the London New Zealand Rugby Club used the space until 1981. It is a communal viewing area near No. 1 Court, where spectators gather to watch matches on a large screen. It became colloquially known as Henman Hill in the 1990s, when crowds gathered to support four-time semi-finalist Tim Henman in dramatic matches as he tried to win the title.

ince been named after other British players over the years, most notably Sir Andy Murray, to become Murray Mound when, in 2013, he became the first British man in 77 years to win the Singles title. Now, with a new generation of players coming through the ranks, some people have renamed the hill as Radacanu Rise, in support of Emma Radacanu. The media usually still refer to it as Henman Hill, but whatever name is used is often dependent on your age or your favourite tennis player!

Food and drinks

Strawberries and cream are synonymous with Wimbledon, having been served at the very first tournament in 1877 and have become a firm favourite ever since. Around 140,000 portions are served up each year, which is about 28,000kg of strawberries and 7,000 litres of cream!

Pimm’s is the quintessential drink of the Championships. The Pimm’s Cup has been a popular cocktail at Wimbledon even before the first Pimm’s bar opened in 1971. It is also served at other major events such as the Chelsea Flower Show, Henley Royal Regatta and Royal Ascot.

2026 is proving to be a bumper year for sport. So, get your strawberries and cream and your Pimm’s cocktail ready for one of the biggest sporting events of the British Summer. Let the games begin!

By Sharon McMichael

Photo by Matthias Davies Unsplash 

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