The Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon have developed from the garden party atmosphere of the first meeting in 1877, witnessed by a few hundred spectators, to a highly professional tournament attracting an attendance of over 500,000 people and through the press, radio, Internet and television a following of millions throughout the world.

The Tournament starts each year six weeks before the first Monday in August and lasts for a fortnight or for as long as necessary to complete all events. Players from over 60 nations regularly compete.

Over 6,000 people attend The Championships in a working capacity. These include a temporary staff of several hundred who are directly employed by The All England Lawn Tennis Club and others who are provided by firms, contractors, voluntary bodies and public services as well as representatives of the media. In short, during the Fortnight at the end of June and the beginning of July, the Club is a hive of activity, squarely in the eye of the sporting world.

Play is scheduled to start on Centre and No. 1Courts at 1.00 p.m. for the first eleven days and at 2.00 p.m. on finals days. On all other courts the start of play will be scheduled for 12.00 noon for at least the first eight days and 11.00 a.m. for Junior matches on the middle Saturday and during the second week.

The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, which is responsible for staging the world's leading tennis tournament, is a private club founded in 1868 originally as The All England Croquet Club, and its first ground was situated off Worple Road, Wimbledon.

The first meeting of The Lawn Tennis Championships in 1877 enjoyed a garden party atmosphere, and attracted a few hundred spectators. Situated since 1922 at Church Road, The Championships is the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass. As a highly professional tournament, it attracts an attendance of nearly 500,000 people and through press, radio and television a following of hundreds of millions throughout the world.