It’s tennis season! Wimbledon is upon us, which means we’re treated not only to some world class sports action, but also to celebrity, royal, and aristocratic sightings. All in one place.
Unlike the other major tennis tournaments (grand-slams), the French Open, US Open, and Australian Open, Wimbledon is steeped pretty deeply in tradition. It isn’t just a regular sporting event, and it’s not something to be taken lightly.
Impress your tennis loving (and/or anglophile) friends with these five facts about Wimbledon, courtesy of Finances Online.
One.
Wimbledon Isn’t Actually The Name Of The Tournament.
The name of the club where Wimbledon takes place is officially called All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and happens to be located in Wimbledon – a posh part of London.
The tournament name is actually The Championships, Wimbledon or The Wimbledon Championships. It was originally started as a tournament between the members of the ultra-exclusive club that runs its facilities with a careful eye on tradition (see below), and eventually became the most prestigious of all tennis tournaments world-wide.
Two.
The Traditions.
As mentioned, Wimbledon is a tournament where tradition runs deep. It is the only major tournament where the attire of the players is dictated, as well as how breaks should be spent by spectators, and how long clapping is appropriate for.
The attire of the players is predominantly white, a throw back to the days when all players in every professional match in the world wore white on the courts.
Tennis Whites.
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No solid mass of colouring
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Little or no dark or bold colours
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No fluorescent colours
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Preference towards pastel colours
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Preference for the back of the shirt to be totally white
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Preference for shorts and skirts to be totally white
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All other items of clothing, including hats, socks and shoe uppers to be predominantly white
(The above list was taken from the Wimbledon Wikipedia entry, so please excuse the British spelling of the word “colors.”)
The Royal Family.
Until 2003, it was customary for both players on the court to bow or curtsy to the royal box, regardless of whether or not a member of the royal family was present. However, in 2003 the President of All England, HRH The Duke of Kent, decided to do away with the practice, and instead stipulated that bowing and curtsying should only take place if HRH The Prince of Wales or Her Majesty, The Queen is present. (The Queen, for the record, is rarely present – she’s been just twice in nearly four decades!)
Three.
What They Win.
Although tennis tournaments are a huge draw in terms of spectators and endorsements, the prize money at tournaments is quite low. Not including their endorsements, tennis champs Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have won a combined total of $11.9million. There are football players (American and otherwise) who make more than that in a single season, never mind over the course of their entire careers. Don’t feel too bad for them though, their endorsements bring their total earnings up significantly, with Nadal taking in $26.4million and Federer bringing home $71.5million.
How They Win It.
Perhaps not-so-surprisingly, the prize money in tennis has not always been equal. Until 2007, the men’s champion took home significantly more money than the women’s. However, sponsors began putting pressure on the tournaments organizers to pay the women an equal amount, and so – they did.
That said, there has been arguments made (and pretty convincingly) that having the prize money be equal still isn’t fair. The reason for this is that, in professional tennis, men play a best out of five format, while women play best out of three. That means, if you break it down to a per set rate, the men are taking home less per set than the ladies.
Four.
Get Your Tickets Here.
Just kidding. I don’t have any tickets to give out.
In fact, unless you’re a member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, or a member of the social elite (read: royals, aristocrats, and CEOs), you probably won’t ever see a ticket to any of the great matches played at the tournament. If you do manage to land your hands on a ticket, it’s probably to match on the outside courts, where the lower seeded matches are played.
Desperate for a guaranteed in, and flush with cash? You can buy a debenture, which will give you one seat to every day of Wimbledon for five years. The going rate is currently $43,000. And they’re sold basically like IPOs – you need to have some knowledge of when they’re going up for sale to snag one. Good luck.
Five.
The Brits Aren’t Actually Awesome At Tennis.
While Wimbledon may be all British in its traditions and histories, its winners are anything but. The men’s championship hasn’t been won by a Brit since 1936, while the ladies’ hasn’t been won by a Brit since 1977.
Brit Andy Murray, who recently one the Queen’s Cup title, is the UKs best hope for taking home the Wimbledon title this year. He did astonishingly well at last year’s Olympic games, beating Roger Federer and nabbing the gold medal (which was, incidentally, played at All England). He made it to the finals of Wimbledon two weeks later, where Federer avenged his Olympics loss.