Wimbledon

Every year the quiet southern suburb of London - Wimbledon turns into the world capital of tennis. For two weeks the English tennis and croquet club hold the open championship of Great Britain on the courts.

All matches of the Wimbledon tennis tournament pass on  grass. The distinctive feature of Wimbledon is not only a game on  grass and open-air, but wearing white clothes is a duty for all participants.

The Wimbledon Championships began in 1877, when the All England Club, founded solely as a croquet club, embraced the fast-growing sport of lawn tennis. The club decided to host a championship and, before it could do so, put together a set of rules and regulations for the sport (which are very similar to those used today).

In 1877, the first year of the Lawn Tennis Championship, the club hosted only a gentlemen's singles competition. About 200 spectators attended the tournament. The tournament was considered to have a success, and it became an annual event.

Seven years after the first tournament, women were invited to play for the first time. Maud Watson was the first champion of the single competition in 1884. Gentlemen's doubles were introduced in the same year, after the Oxford University club ended its doubles championship in 1883.

Tennis began to grow in popularity as a spectator sport.

By 1900, Wimbledon was of international interest. In 1905, the Championships had their first overseas titleholders:  American May Sutton, won the ladies' singles. Two years later (as Sutton won her second title), Australian Norman Brookes won the men's singles competition, becoming the first men's international winner. Since that year, only two British men have won the men's singles event.

Chairman Herman David attempted in 1959 to "open" the Championships, allowing all players to compete.

Every year the quiet southern suburb of London - Wimbledon turns into the world capital of tennis. For two weeks the English tennis and croquet club hold the open championship of Great Britain on the courts.

All matches of the Wimbledon tennis tournament pass on grass. The distinctive feature of Wimbledon is not only a game on grass and open-air, but wearing white clothes is a duty for all participants .

The Wimbledon Championships began in 1877, when the All England Club, founded solely as a croquet club, embraced the fast-growing sport of lawn tennis. The club decided to host a championship and, before it could do so, put together a set of rules and regulations for the sport (which are very similar to those used today).

In 1877, the first year of the Lawn Tennis Championship, the club hosted only a gentlemen's singles competition. About 200 spectators attended the tournament. The tournament was considered to have a success, and it became an annual event.

Seven years after the first tournament, women were invited to play for the first time. Maud Watson was the first champion of the single competition in 1884. Gentlemen's doubles were introduced in the same year, after the Oxford University club ended its doubles championship in 1883.

Tennis began to grow in popularity as a spectator sport.

By 1900, Wimbledon was of international interest. In 1905, the Championships had their first overseas titleholders: American May Sutton, won the ladies' singles. Two years later (as Sutton won her second title), Australian Norman Brookes won the men's singles competition, becoming the first men's international winner. Since that year, only two British men have won the men's singles event.

Chairman Herman David attempted in 1959 to "open" the Championships, allowing all players to compete.

Since the beginning of the Open era, Wimbledon has seen some truly great champions. In 1980, Bjorn Borg became the first man to win five titles at Wimbledon , Pete Sampras (seven) and Roger Federer (six) .In 1987 Martina Navratilova became the first player to win six women's singles titles -- all in a row -- and she set the all-time mark with nine titles in 1990.

In 2010, a Wimbledon first-round match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut set a mark for the longest tennis match in history, spanning 11 hours and five minutes over three days. In the same year, Queen Elizabeth II made her first visit to Wimbledon in 33 years, watching Brit Andy Murray in the second round. Three years later, Murray ended a 77-year drought for a native Wimbledon champion, defeating Novak Djokovich in the final.

Pete Sampras .USA

Bjorn Borg .Sweden

Roger Federer

Martina Navratilova . Czechoslovakia/the USA

John   Isner  and  Nicolas   Mahut

Andy   Murray  . Britain

The first Russian who won Wimbledon is Maria Sharapova. She won the Wimbledon singles title in 2004 and became the third youngest woman to do so in the history of the championship. She stunned the reigning champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 in the finals.

The quadruple winner of Grand Slam tournaments in the single category. The winner of 29 WTA tournaments in the single category and three WTA tournaments in the pair category. The sixth tennis-player in the Open era who collected the career Grand Slam in the female single category. Only among Russians (both women, and men) who 8 times played in the endings of Grand Slam tournaments in the single category . Winner of the total WTA championship of 2004. The owner of the Federation Cup of 2008. The Silver prize-winner of Olympic Games of 2012. The finalist of 2 junior Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon-2002) in the single category.

Maria   Sharapova

The Olympic champion of Olympic Games of 2012 in the female single category. The triple Olympic champion in the pair category (2000, 2008 and 2012) — all three times together with elder sister. After a victory in the open championship of the USA of 2008 Serena headed again a world rating more than 5 years (the last time she was the first in August, 2003) World champion of 2001, 2009 and 2012.

Serena   Williams the USA