July 9, 1877 – The First-ever Wimbledon tennis championship tournament began. It was truly a watershed moment as Wimbledon was the first official lawn tennis tournament anywhere. The creators were the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club as they decided to hold a lawn tennis tournament for men’s singles only that 21 amateurs showed up to participate in the London suburbs.
The club was originally centered around croquet, another lawn sport, but the growing popularity of tennis led it to incorporate tennis lawns into their expansive 4 acres of grounds purchased in 1868. The entrance fee of one pound for each participant could earn them the title of Wimbledon champion and a 25-guinea trophy.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Peek Into Glass Backboards: A Coast to Coast Anthology of American Basketball
The following is an excerpt from Glass Backboards: A Coast to Coast Anthology of
Bracket Busters: Upsets to Watch in March Madness
As the calendar flips to March, college basketball fans brace themselves for the annual
The Story of the 1967 Los Angeles Rams
From 1956 to 1965, the LA Rams were not a good football team, posting
Great Wide Receivers From The 70s Before the 1978 Rule Change
Pro football has provided a showcase for the many different wide receivers who buckled
In The Beginning: An Interview With Joseph T. Sternaman
And, you may ask, who is Joseph T. Sternaman? Sternaman was more commonly known
Michael Jordan: Domination Through March Madness
Widely regarded as the greatest basketball player ever, Michael Jordan first captivated fans across
Triumph and Tragedy: The 1936 Olympics in Berlin
In the annals of Olympic history, few editions have been as impactful and controversial
The Pine Tar Incident: George Brett’s Legendary Home Run
The Pine Tar Game stands as a monumental moment in baseball history, encapsulating the