A lot is happening in London
this year – the Olympics, the Queens Diamond Jubilee, and the action of world
class tennis at Wimbledon. The 2012 Championships will take place between
June 25th and July 7th at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in the
city of Wimbledon, which is in the suburbs of London.
The tennis action starts on the outside courts with both the
men’s and women’s qualifying tournaments which begins a week early on June 18th.
Due to its popularity, tickets to Wimbledon
are hard to come by. Tickets can be bought online, or people can queue outside
the grounds to be one of the lucky 500 or so who can get in the door during the
first week.
Tickets are for reserved seating on the big, main courts, or
ones that allow you to roam the grounds and check out the play on the outer
courts.
Wimbledon 2011
The Wimbledon 2011 tournament saw both the Men’s and the
Women’s Tournament first time Champions. For the men, Novak Djokovic won his
second of three Grand Slam titles of the year by defeating former champion
Rafael Nadal in four sets, while the women’s draw saw Petra Kvitov win her
first ever Grand Slam title beating Maria Sharapova in straight sets.
The American Doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan won their
11th overall Grand Slam title in the Men’s Doubles tournament, while Květa
Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik won their first Grand Slam title in the Women’s
Doubles tournament. The Mixed Doubles tournament was won by Jrgen Melzer and
Iveta Benešov.
History
Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam tournament of the calendar
year, taking place in the London suburb of Wimbledon from late June through early July. It has been
in existence since 1877 and is the last remaining Slam to be contested on
grass. As the oldest tennis tournament in the world, it is widely regarded as
the most prestigious of the four Grand Slam events.
One of the Wimbledon’s many defining aspects is its venue, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club—commonly referred to as the All England Club. It was founded in 1868 and has hosted Wimbledon since the tournament’s inception. The AELTC contains two main show courts: Centre Court and No. 1 Court. Centre Court, holding a capacity of 15,000, is the stage for the men’s and women’s finals, semifinals and most other high-profile matches throughout the tournament. No. 1 court, holding a capacity of 11,000, was built in 1997 after the previous No. 1 Court was put out of commission. In addition to the main show courts, the All England Club boasts another 17 courts, all of which are numbered accordingly. In 2012, the facility will host the tennis event of the Summer Olympics.
Complimenting the historic venue are the timeless rituals that add to the event’s unique character. There are the strawberries and cream enjoyed by the patrons, the all-white dress code required of the players, and the mandated day of rest on the first (middle) Sunday. Appearances by the royal family give Wimbledon an undeniable air of prestige. But the tournament is not averse to change. There have been countless technological improvements in its history, including the addition of replay technology and the building of a retractable roof atop Centre Court, in 2009.
Wimbledon has seen plenty of champions throughout its history, but a select few have risen above the rest. The first to cement himself as a Wimbledon icon was William Renshaw, who took home seven singles titles in the late 1800s. Roughly 30 years later, Helen Wills carved her place in tournament lore by winning eight singles championships over an 11-year span. The Open era spawned new legends, including Martina Navratilova, who in 1990 captured a record ninth singles title. Ten years later, Pete Sampras equaled Renshaw with his seventh Wimbledon victory. Roger Federer, still active, is not far behind, with six.
The 2011 tournament begins June 20, with matches taking place each day—except the middle Sunday—until the tournament’s conclusion on July 3.
One of the Wimbledon’s many defining aspects is its venue, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club—commonly referred to as the All England Club. It was founded in 1868 and has hosted Wimbledon since the tournament’s inception. The AELTC contains two main show courts: Centre Court and No. 1 Court. Centre Court, holding a capacity of 15,000, is the stage for the men’s and women’s finals, semifinals and most other high-profile matches throughout the tournament. No. 1 court, holding a capacity of 11,000, was built in 1997 after the previous No. 1 Court was put out of commission. In addition to the main show courts, the All England Club boasts another 17 courts, all of which are numbered accordingly. In 2012, the facility will host the tennis event of the Summer Olympics.
Complimenting the historic venue are the timeless rituals that add to the event’s unique character. There are the strawberries and cream enjoyed by the patrons, the all-white dress code required of the players, and the mandated day of rest on the first (middle) Sunday. Appearances by the royal family give Wimbledon an undeniable air of prestige. But the tournament is not averse to change. There have been countless technological improvements in its history, including the addition of replay technology and the building of a retractable roof atop Centre Court, in 2009.
Wimbledon has seen plenty of champions throughout its history, but a select few have risen above the rest. The first to cement himself as a Wimbledon icon was William Renshaw, who took home seven singles titles in the late 1800s. Roughly 30 years later, Helen Wills carved her place in tournament lore by winning eight singles championships over an 11-year span. The Open era spawned new legends, including Martina Navratilova, who in 1990 captured a record ninth singles title. Ten years later, Pete Sampras equaled Renshaw with his seventh Wimbledon victory. Roger Federer, still active, is not far behind, with six.
The 2011 tournament begins June 20, with matches taking place each day—except the middle Sunday—until the tournament’s conclusion on July 3.
2012 Wimbledon
Championships: 25 June - 8 July
Ground Capacity - 38,500 as per 2011.
Chairman’s Special Guests at 2012 Wimbledon
- Frank Sedgman – 60 years since Singles, Doubles and Mixed titles in 1952
- Rod Laver – 50 years since first Grand Slam in 1962
- Andre Agassi – 20 years since Gentlemen’s Singles Champion 1992
- Stefanie Graf – 20 years since Ladies Singles Champion 1992
- Rod Laver – 50 years since first Grand Slam in 1962
- Andre Agassi – 20 years since Gentlemen’s Singles Champion 1992
- Stefanie Graf – 20 years since Ladies Singles Champion 1992
Key Diary Dates
- April 2012 Prize Money announced
- Monday 11 June 2012 LTA Wild Card play-off starts at AELTC
- from Monday 11 June Wild cards announced
- Monday 18-Thursday 21 June Qualifying event:, Bank of England Sports Club
- Wednesday 20 June, around 12 noon. Seedings announced -
- from 10.00am. Main Interview Room Draw - Friday 22 June
- Sunday 24 June, 11.30am and 12 noon Defending Champions’ interviews
- Monday 18-Thursday 21 June Qualifying event:, Bank of England Sports Club
- Wednesday 20 June, around 12 noon. Seedings announced -
- from 10.00am. Main Interview Room Draw - Friday 22 June
- Sunday 24 June, 11.30am and 12 noon Defending Champions’ interviews
- Saturday 7 July 2012 Ladies' Singles Final
- Sunday 8 July 2012 Men's Singles Final
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