Wimbledon has historically been played in the last week of June and the first week of July (though changed to the first two weeks of July in 2017), and has been chronologically the third of the fourGrand Slam tournaments of the tennisseason since 1987.[4] The event was not held from 1915 to 1918 because ofWorld War I and again from 1940 to 1945 because ofWorld War II.[5] The tournament was also not contested in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[6]
The ladies' singles' rules have undergone several changes since the first edition. From1886 until1921, the event started with aknockout phase, the all comers' singles, whose winner then faced the defending champion in achallenge round. The all comers' winner was automatically awarded the title eleven times (1889,1890,1891,1894,1895,1898,1903,1908,1909,1912,1913) in the absence of the previous year's champion. The challenge round system was abolished with the1922 edition.[7] Since the first championships, all matches have been played at thebest-of-three sets. Between 1877 and1883, the winner of the next game at five games-all took the set in every match except the all comers' final, and the challenge round, which were won with six games and a two games advantage. All sets were decided in two-gameadvantage format from1884 to1970.[7] Thelingering death best-of-12 pointstie-break was introduced in1971 for the first two sets, played at eight games-all until1978 and at six games-all since1979.[7][8][9]
The ladies' singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish", or simply the "Rosewater Dish". The salver, which is 18.75 inches (about 48 cm) in diameter, is decorated with figures from mythology.[10] New singles champions are traditionally elected honorary members of the AELTC by the club's committee.[c][13] In 2012, the ladies' singles winner receivedprize money of£1,150,000.[14]
In the Amateur–challenge round era,Dorothea Lambert Chambers (1903–1904, 1906, 1910–1911, 1913–1914) holds the record for most titles, with seven. However, it's noteworthy that three of Chambers' titles were won in the challenge round.Lottie Dod (1891–1893) andSuzanne Lenglen (1919–1921) hold the record for most consecutive wins in the ladies' singles with three victories each. The record for most wins and most consecutive wins post-challenge round in the Amateur Era, belongs toHelen Wills Moody (1927–1930, 1932–1933, 1935, 1938) with eight, including four straight victories (1927–1930).[5]
In the Open Era, since the inclusion of the professional tennis players,Martina Navratilova (1978–1979, 1982–1987, 1990) holds the record for most victories with nine. Navratilova holds the record for most consecutive victories with six (1982–1987).[5]
Lottie Dod was a five-time champion and is the youngest ever winner of the ladies' singles championships (15 years and 285 days).Charlotte Cooper Sterry was a five-time champion and is the oldest ladies' singles champion (37 year and 282 days).Dorothea Lambert Chambers was a seven-time champion over a twelve-year period from 1903 to 1914.Suzanne Lenglen was a six-time champion.Helen Wills Moody was an eight-time champion between 1927 and 1938.Maureen Connolly competed in 1952, 1953 and 1954 and won the title on all three occasions.Althea Gibson won the title in 1957, the first black tennis player to do so, and successfully defended her title in 1958.
Billie Jean King is a six-time champion.Martina Navratilova is a nine-time singles champion, aGrand Slam record in the Open Era for women (Margaret Court won the Australian 11 times). She won six consecutive titles from 1982 to 1987.Steffi Graf is a seven-time champion over a nine-year period from 1988 to 1996.Serena Williams is a seven-time champion.Venus Williams is a five-time champion over a nine-year period from 2000 to 2008.Petra Kvitová is a two-time champion, and created a first in 2011, when she became the first player, male or female, born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam tournament title.
^John McEnroe is the only player to have been denied membership in1981, because of his on-court behaviour during the championships.[11][12]
^abEach year is linked to an article about that particular year's draws, but pre-1922 they did not have draws due to the challenge round system. In 1922 till the present they do have draws, but the years of 1925–1939 do not have draw pages with links, so it is linked to the year's articles instead.
^The tournament was not held from 1915 to 1918 because of World War I.[5]
^The tournament was not held from 1940 to 1945 because of World War II.[5]
^abMartina Navratilova was born inCzechoslovakia, but competed as an American after the US Open in 1975, having sought asylum in the United States, which made her relinquish her Czechoslovak citizenship.[17][18]
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