History - 1870s

The First Championships

The All England Club had been founded solely for the purpose of croquet in 1868. The following year, the Club moved to its first permanent site, on four acres of rented meadowland at Worple Road, Wimbledon. In 1875, one lawn was given over to the new game of lawn tennis, which quickly overtook croquet in popularity.

Two years later, the new sport had grown sufficiently that the Club took the decision to hold its first Lawn Tennis Championship. Conditions at the first Championship were primitive. A temporary three-plank stand offered seats for 30 people, the total attendance for the final was 200, the rackets resembled snowshoes in shape and weight and the balls had hand-sewn flannel outer casings.

Only one event was included, the gentlemen’s singles, which was won by Spencer Gore. Fittingly, Gore was a local man from Wimbledon, although he preferred cricket to lawn tennis and was sceptical as to whether the popularity of the new game would last. The following year, Gore lost his title to Frank Hadow. As a native of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Hadow did not return in 1879 to defend his title. Instead it was won by Rev. John Hartley, the only clergyman ever to win Wimbledon. Hartley retained his title in 1880.