Wimbledon Championships, byname of All-England Championships, internationally known tennis championships played annually in London at Wimbledon.
The tournament, held in late June and early July, is one of the four annual “Grand Slam” tennis events—along with the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens—and is the only one still played on natural grass. The first Wimbledon championship was held in 1877 on one of the croquet lawns of the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club (since 1882 the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club). In 1884 a women’s championship was introduced at Wimbledon, and the national men’s doubles was transferred there from Oxford. Mixed doubles and women’s doubles were inaugurated in 1913.
The Wimbledon Championships, originally played by amateurs, were opened to professional players in 1968; Rod Laver of Australia and Billie Jean King of the United States won the singles events that year. The current championships, in addition to men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles, include events for junior boys and girls.