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Wimbledon
29 June 2007. Wimbledon is one of the world's most popular sports events, but how much do you know about it? How old is it? Who won it last year? Are there any special traditions?
Wimbledon is the oldest major tennis championship in the world. It began in1877 and is held every June and July in the south of London.
It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments (the others are the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the US Open). Wimbledon is the only one on grass, and for many people it is the most important.
What's Special About Wimbledon?
Wimbledon has some special traditions. Here are a few.
Dress Code
Well, one thing is the players' dress code. Players must wear almost all white. This is stricter than most major tournaments. All the staff wear dark green and purple - the traditional Wimbledon colours.
Royal Family
On 'Centre Court' (the main tennis court), players have to bow or curtsy when they enter if the Queen or the Prince of Wales is there.
Strawberries and Cream!
It is traditional to eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon. Every year, 28,000 kilos of English strawberries and 7,000 litres of cream are eaten! It is also very popular to drink Pimm's at Wimbledon - and of course champagne too! In the two weeks of the tournament, spectators drink 150,000 glasses of Pimm's and 17,000 bottles of champagne.
Tickets
Even if you don't have a ticket, you can queue up and still get seats on the main courts - Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2. Some people camp all night outside Wimbledon to be one of the first in the queue.
What about this Year's Championship ?
In the Gentlemen's Singles, Roger Federer from Switzerland is hoping to win his 5th Wimbledon title in a row. Last year's champion in the Ladies' Singles was Amélie Mauresmo from France. The woman ranked World Number 1, Justine Henin from Belgium, has not won Wimbledon yet.
Why Can't the British Win Wimbledon?
And finally, did you know that the last British man to win the Gentlemen's Singles was Fred Perry in 1936. The last British woman to win the Ladies' Singles was in 1977. The British often laugh or feel embarrassed about this. Unfortunately, Britain's best player - Andy Murray - is injured, so we will probably have to wait another year!
Watch highlights of 2006 Men's Final
Watch highlights of 2006 Ladies' Final
