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What is Wimbledon in Tennis?
Wimbledon is the world’s oldest and most famous tennis tournament, first held in 1877. It is the only Grand Slam played on grass courts, which makes the game faster and favors players with strong serves and volleys. Hosted annually at the All England Club in London, Wimbledon takes place over two weeks in late June and early July.
This year Wimbledon will start on June 30 and end on July 13.
Wimbledon takes its name from the southwest London district where the tournament has been held since it began in 1877.
Venue and Location: All England Club, Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom.
Grand Slam tournaments are the most prestigious tournaments in tennis, offering the highest prize money and ATP and WTA points. There are four Grand Slam tournaments in total: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Qualification
- Direct Entry: Top-ranked players automatically qualify based on the ATP and WTA rankings. For the men’s singles, the top 104 players who sign up for the tournament gain direct entry. For women’s singles, it is typically the top 108 players.
- Qualifying Tournament: Players outside the direct entry and wild card spots can enter through the qualifying tournament held just before the main event. This is a series of matches where the winners earn a spot in the main draw.
- Wild Cards: A select number of wild card entries are granted by the tournament organizers to players who might not meet the ranking requirements but have notable potential or local appeal.
- Protected Ranking: Players returning from injury may enter with a protected ranking, which allows them to bypass the normal qualification process.
Tournament Format
Grand Slam tournaments, like Wimbledon, consist of two main stages: the Main Draw and the Qualification Tournament.
Main Draw
The main draw is the tournament’s final stage where players compete for the title. If a player has a high enough ranking, they automatically qualify for the tournament’s main draw.
In Grand Slam tournaments, the main draw consists of 128 players, meaning a player must win 7 consecutive matches to win the title. The main draw follows a knockout format, meaning that if a player loses a match, they are eliminated from the tournament.
Qualification Tournament
Before the main draw, a qualification tournament takes place. In this tournament, players who don’t have a high enough ranking to qualify directly for the main draw compete in the qualification rounds for a chance to earn a spot in the main draw.
The qualification tournament is played in the same way as the main draws but shortened. For example, a 128-player draw includes three rounds and 16 players receive a spot in the main draw.
Court Type
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on traditional grass courts. Before 1974, 3/4 of the Grand Slam tournaments were played on grass courts, but since then the popularity of grass courts has declined due to their challenging maintenance.
Grass courts are the fastest of all tennis courts because when the ball hits the court it does not bounce straight upwards but slides along the surface for a short time. This also means that the ball bounces much lower than on other court types and the player has less time to react to the shot.
Grass courts therefore favour players who hit hard and flat. In particular, backspin shots such as the slice are very effective on grass courts, as they allow the ball to produce a very low bounce.
Prize Money and Points
The prize money for the 2025 Wimbledon has not been disclosed yet, but here’s the breakdown of the prize money from the previous year:
Gentlemen’s & Ladies’ Singles
| Player | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Winner | $3,348,000 (€3,264,236) |
| Runner-Up | $2,138,400 (€1,965,728) |
| Semifinalist | $887,600 (€816,992) |
| Quarterfinalist | $465,600 (€428,352) |
| R4 – Round of 16 (players) | $280,240 (€257,821) |
| R3 – Round of 32 (players) | $177,500 (€163,100) |
| R2 – Round of 64 (players) | $115,000 (€105,800) |
| R1 – Round of 128 (players) | $74,500 (€68,600) |
Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Doubles (per pair)
| Pair | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Winner | $806,000 (€742,560) |
| Runner-Up | $409,200 (€376,464) |
| Semifinalist | $207,000 (€190,440) |
| Quarterfinalist | $104,160 (€95,827) |
| R3 – Third Round | $52,080 (€47,922) |
| R2 – Second Round | $31,000 (€28,520) |
| R1 – First Round | $19,500 (€17,940) |
Mixed Doubles
| Pair | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Winner | $164,710 (€156,715) |
| Runner-Up | $82,355 (€78,275) |
| Semifinalists | $41,871 (€39,807) |
| Quarterfinalists | $21,539 (€20,458) |
| Second Round | $10,769 (€10,230) |
| First Round | $5,384 (€5,115) |
Points
Winning the Wimbledon awards male players 2,000 ATP points and female players 2,000 WTA points.
History of Wimbledon
Wimbledon, established in 1877, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. Held annually in London at the All England Club, it is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Known for its long-standing tradition, it is played on grass courts, differentiating it from the other Grand Slam events. The tournament also features a distinctive atmosphere, with a strict dress code for players.
According to the official rules, the clothing must be “almost entirely white,” with only minor exceptions. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) specifies that a player’s clothing must be at least 90% white, which includes all items of clothing, such as shirts, shorts, skirts, socks, and even shoes. However, there can be a small amount of color in the form of trim or logos.
However, this must not be dominant, and the overall look must remain predominantly white.
