Wimbledon: All you need to know

Wimbledon, the oldest tennis competition in the world, gets underway from July 1st – July 14th for the 137th time. Widely considered the most prestigious tennis event, Wimbledon is known for its quirky rules, indulgent snacks, and the creation of legends.

Below is everything you need to know about the biggest tennis tournament of the summer.

What is Wimbledon?

Wimbledon is the British edition of the four major tennis tournaments hosted every year by the ATP Professional Tennis Tour. Others, The Australian, US and French Open, are played on clay and hard courts, while Wimbledon is the only major still played on the traditional grass surface.

It is hosted at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London, and has been played since 1877, every year attracting huge crowds that flock to see the best tennis players in the world.

The oldest tennis tournament in existence, Wimbledon was also the birthplace of the modern game, with rules that have remained largely unchanged since 1877.

Today, the tournament is made up of 128 men and 128 women, featuring men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles tournaments. The men’s singles and women’s singles are the most watched of the tournament, the final of which is held at the famed Centre Court with a crowd of almost 15,000 in attendance.

Where and when is the Wimbledon Championship being played?

Wimbledon will begin on the Monday 1st July and will last two weeks, with the final on Sunday 14th July.

The competition takes place at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, situated in the south-west of London, England.

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Who are the previous winners of Wimbledon?

Previous winners of Wimbledon include the famous English victor, Fred Perry, who won the title between 1934-36. Andy Murray was the next British player to win 77 years later in 2013, while recently retired Swiss maestro Roger Federer won the title eight times, making him the second-most successful Wimbledon player ever and the most successful male player.

The most successful Wimbledon player of all time is Martina Navratilova, who won nine championships in her career. The world number one for 332 weeks and the doubles number one for 237 weeks, she is the only player ever to hold both positions for over 200 weeks. Alongside her nine singles titles she also won seven doubles championships at Wimbledon.

Many other greats have tasted victory on the grass at Centre Court, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Billie Jean King.

The pot for the 2023 tournament was £44.7 million, with the men’s and women’s winners taking home £2.35 million each.

What are the odds for Wimbledon?

Men’s Singles

Last year’s victor and recent winner of his first Roland-Garros title at the French Open, Carlos Alcaraz, is the current market leader at 11/8 to pick up back-to-back wins on the grass this summer. Alcaraz flew onto the scene and has already been compared to many of the greats, beating Novak Djokovic in emphatic fashion last time out in the final to deny him his eighth Wimbledon title.

The Italian Jannik Sinner is the new second-favourite to lift the Wimbledon trophy this summer at 13/8 following the news of Novak Djokovic’s injury. Despite his injury, Djokovic still remains semi-strong in the market at 7/2.

Women’s Singles

The favourites for the women in this year’s Wimbledon Championships look to be slightly more contested, with three standout players carrying a similar price in our market. Topping the list is Aryna Sabalenka at 3/1, who has made the Wimbledon semi-final on two occasions in 2021 and 2023 but has lacked the finesse to get her over the line. As a two-time Grand Slam winner, Sabalenka is aware of what it takes to win these high-profile events and there’s no doubt she’ll be gearing up for this one.

The two trailing Sabalenka in the market are Iga Świątek (10/3) and Elena Rybakina (9/2). The former is the current world number one, and similarly to Alcaraz, has just won the French Open. The Pole is yet to pick up a Wimbledon title, with her best finish being a quarter-final exit in last year’s competition, but should she keep up her hot run of form, could be in with a very good chance here.

Rybakina on the other hand has won Wimbledon before, beating Ons Jabeur in the 2022 final after going one set down and, with a disappointing quarter-final exit in the French Open this year, will be pining after a bounce-back performance in London.

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