The Championships, Wimbledon

The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply, Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877. It is the oldest of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the only one still played on grass courts.

The tournament runs annually for 14 days from late June to early July, , with the climax being the men's singles final, scheduled for a Sunday. As of the 2008 tournament, five major events are contested, as well as four junior events and four invitational events.

Wimbledon is third in the annual Grand Slam season. The hard court Australian Open and clay court French Open precede Wimbledon. The hard court U.S. Open follows. The grass court Queen's Club Championships also in London is a popular warm up tournament for Wimbledon.

Wimbledon traditions include the eating of strawberries and cream, royal patronage, strict dress code for competitors, and ball boys and girls. A much unloved tradition, "rain stops play" calls leading to schedule over-runs, is set to be reduced with the fitting of a retractable roof to Centre Court from 2009. The 2008 men's final, already the longest at nearly 5 hours of play, was extended to over 7 hours due to rain, finishing in darkness.