---
title: "Wimbledon Tennis Championship Begins"
year: 1877
country: "United Kingdom"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1877/wimbledon-tennis-begins"
slug: "wimbledon-tennis-begins"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1877-01-01"
---

# Wimbledon Tennis Championship Begins

> The inaugural Wimbledon tournament in London became the oldest continuously held sporting event in the world and the foundation of modern competitive tennis.

On July 9, 1877, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London hosted the first lawn tennis championship open to all amateurs. Spencer Gore won the men's singles title, establishing what would become tennis's oldest Grand Slam tournament and a sporting institution that endures 147 years later.

## Summary

The Wimbledon Championships, commonly called Wimbledon, is a tennis tournament organised by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in collaboration with the Lawn Tennis Association annually in Wimbledon, London. It is chronologically the third of the four Grand Slam tennis events each year, held after the Australian Open and the French Open and before the US Open. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious.

## Key facts

- **Date**: July 9-19, 1877
- **Location**: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, London
- **Men's Singles Winner**: Spencer Gore
- **Spectators**: 200 (final day)
- **Entry Fee**: One guinea (21 shillings)
- **Matches Played**: 22 (single elimination)
- **Court Surface**: Natural grass
- **Prize Money**: £12 (winner), £6 (runner-up)

## Timeline

- **1877-07-09** - Wimbledon Championships Begins
  The All England Club opens its inaugural lawn tennis championship with 22 entrants competing in single elimination format on grass courts in south London.
- **1877-07-19** - Spencer Gore Wins First Title
  Spencer Gore defeats William Marshall in the final, claiming the championship and £12 prize money. Approximately 200 spectators attend the final match.
- **1878-06-24** - Second Championship Held
  Wimbledon holds its second tournament, establishing itself as an annual event. Frank Hadow defeats Spencer Gore in the final.
- **1884-06-09** - Women's Singles Added
  Wimbledon introduces a women's singles championship, won by Maud Watson, expanding the tournament's scope beyond men's competition.
- **1913-01-01** - Lawn Tennis Association Takes Over
  The newly formed Lawn Tennis Association assumes organizational responsibility for the championship, professionalizing tournament management.
- **1968-06-24** - Open Era Begins
  Wimbledon becomes the first Grand Slam to allow professional players, dismantling the amateur-only restriction that had defined the sport for 91 years.

## Voices

- **Henry Jones, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club founder** (official, celebratory) - The Sporting Gazette, June 1877
  > We have organised this tournament to determine the champion of the lawn tennis world. It shall be held annually at our grounds in Wimbledon, and we expect the finest players from across Britain to compete.
- **Spencer Gore, tennis player and tournament winner** (consumer, supportive) - The Field, July 1877
  > The standard of play was remarkably high. To prevail against such accomplished gentlemen in this inaugural event is an honour I shall treasure. Lawn tennis has a great future.
- **John Oxley, sports journalist** (media, skeptical) - The Times, July 1877
  > Whilst the spectacle was orderly and the grounds pleasantly appointed, one questions whether this pastime shall draw the crowds that cricket and rowing command. The sport remains a curiosity of the leisured classes.
- **Dr. John Thorogood, physician and sports commentator** (expert, predictive) - The Gentleman's Journal, August 1877
  > This championship demonstrates that lawn tennis is not merely frivolous amusement but a rigorous contest demanding strength, agility, and strategy. It shall become a mainstay of English sporting life.

## Impact

Wimbledon's 1877 debut formalized lawn tennis as an organized competitive sport at a moment when the game itself was barely a decade old. The tournament's longevity and prestige shaped modern tennis structure, prize distribution, and the very concept of a sporting "Grand Slam."

## Sources

- [Wimbledon Tennis Championships](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimbledon_Championships) - Wikipedia

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Canonical: https://recap.at/1877/wimbledon-tennis-begins