The Wimbledon Championships are played in the first two weeks of July (as of July 2017; prior to this, they were played in the last week of June and first week of July) and have chronologically been the third of the fourGrand Slam tournaments of the tennisseason since 1987.[4] The event was not held from 1915 to 1918 because of World War I and again from 1940 to 1945 because of World War II.[5] It was also cancelled in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[6]
Wimbledon Lawn tennis final, 15 July 1879.
The Gentlemen's Singles' rules have undergone several changes since the first edition. From1878 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 six times (1879,1887,1891,1895,1907,1908) 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-five 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 thisadvantage format from1884 to1970.[7] The best-of-12-pointslingering death tie-break was introduced in1971 for the first four sets, played at eight games all until1978 and at six games all since1979.[7][8][9]
Since 1949, the Gentlemen's Singles champion has received a miniature replica of the event's trophy, asilver-gilt cup created in 1887 with the engraved inscription: "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World".[10] New singles champions are traditionally elected honorary members of the AELTC by the club's committee.[c][13] In 2017, the Gentlemen's Singles winner receivedprize money of£2,220,000.[14]
In the Amateur Era,William Renshaw (1881–1886, 1889) holds the record for the most titles in the Gentlemen's Singles, winning Wimbledon seven times. Renshaw's wins, however, came within the challenge round format, and he won the event only twice after going through a complete draw. Renshaw also holds the record for most consecutive titles with six (from 1881 to 1886). The record for most consecutive and most wins post challenge round during the Amateur Era isFred Perry with three (1934–1936).[5] Rod Laver remains one of the most successful men to ever pick up a tennis racquet and having been runner-up in 1959 and 1960 he became Champion in 1961 and 1962 and was unable to compete from 1963-1967 inclusive as he had become a professional and only amateurs were allowed to compete before it was opened up in 1968. Laver won it again that year and 1969 also and twice completed all 4 Grand Slams in the same season (1962/1969).
In the Open Era, since the inclusion of professional tennis players in 1968,Roger Federer (2003–2007, 2009, 2012, 2017) holds the record for the most Gentlemen's Singles titles with eight.Björn Borg (1976–1980) andRoger Federer (2003–2007) share the record for most consecutive victories with five.[5]
Federer reached 7 consecutive Wimbledon Finals (2003 – 09), an all-time record, surpassing the old record of 6 consecutive finals by Borg (1976–81) and in the process the Swede won 41 consecutive matches at Wimbledon.
This event was won without losing a single set in the entire tournament during the Open Era twice, in 1976 by Björn Borg and in 2017 by Roger Federer.
Roger Federer is the only player in history, in both the Amateur and Open Eras, to reach the Wimbledon Gentlemen's Singles Final twelve times.
From 1993 to 2000, Pete Sampras reached the Wimbledon final 7 times out of 8 years, winning all 7 finals in which he competed. During that period, the only time he did not reach the final was in 1996, where he lost at the quarter final stage to eventual champion Richard Krajicek.
William Renshaw was the first man to win seven championships.Reginald Doherty won Wimbledon four times and his brother Laurence won it five times.Fred Perry won three consecutive championships and was the last British man to win Wimbledon (1936) until Andy Murray's win 77 years later in 2013.
Björn Borg won five consecutive titles between 1976 and 1980.Pete Sampras won seven titles in eight years.Roger Federer is an eight-time champion, an all-time men's record.Novak Djokovic, a seven-time champion.
^John McEnroe is the only player to have been denied membership in1981, because of his on-court behaviour during the championships.[11][12]
^ab"British Isles" (BRI) is used for players from theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), distinct from "Great Britain" (GBR) used for players from the United Kingdom (1922–present).[5][16]