(photo source)
I will be the first to admit that I am not a tennis fan. However, seeing as this week/weekend is the 125th year that the grand slam tennis tournament is being played at Wimbledon (located in Merton, England) it’s hard not to be a little excited.
In honor of this age-old sporting tradition, here are a few clever facts about the event….
5 Facts About Wimbledon
- King George VI (Colin Firth’s character in The King’s Speech) played in the 1926 Wimbledon championships while he was still the Duke of York. He lost in the first round.
- The 19 courts at Wimbledon are all made of real grass – 100% rye grass to be exact. During the championship, the courts are mown, rolled and relined each day, and showered with 3,000 gallons of water.
- The trophy for the men’s singles has a pineapple design on the top.
- Strawberries and cream is one of the traditional symbols of the championships. They are freshly picked each day from the “Garden of England” and are served throughout the tournament.
- Ladies’ singles finals will be held on Saturday, July 2, while Men’s singles finals will be held on Sunday, July 3. View more key dates for Wimbledon.
Ciao!
