Wimbledon Stadium

Wimbledon is one of the most followed sports of all time. It has come a long way since 1877, when it was first inaugurated. With the passage of time it has become one of the most prestigious events in the world of professional tennis. Professional lawn tennis players from more than 60 countries participate in the Wimbledon, and it is watched by millions of people worldwide.

The Wimbledon stadium is known as the All England Lawn Tennis Club or AELTC. It is a beautiful, 42-acre tennis club which hosts the Championship. It is one of the most elegant venues of the world, simply because of the fact that it is just about 15 minutes away from central London. Its grand stature coupled with easy accessibility has made it one of the most famous locations for the Championship.

The stadium was established in the year 1868 as a private club in Wimbledon, England. Just nine years after it was founded, it went on to hold the first tournament. In 1922, the Club relocated to Church-road, Wimbledon from its earlier location at Worple Road and has stayed in this location ever since. There are various plans of renovations in place, to be made in the year 2009. At present, the Wimbledon stadium has 19 grass courts, 5 red shale, 3 continental clay, 1 American clay, 5 indoor courts, more than 20 practice courts and one non-regulation field as well.

The members of the club can use all the facilities of the stadium, throughout the year. The total members of the club stand at less than 400, which makes it one of the most selective clubs in the whole world. It is not easy at all to get a membership of the club. It is considered to be a very grueling process which takes a little more than a couple of weeks. Although the stadium has always held only the Wimbledon Championships, it has also held events apart from the Wimbledon Championship as well, like the Wightman Cup in 1972 and the Davis Cup, in 2000. Every year the Wimbledon stadium attracts more than 450,000 fans of tennis.

However, there are not only the matches to keep the visitors glued to the ground. Apart from the Wimbledon matches, the stadium also has 3 restaurants, a museum which has memorabilia which dates back to the year 1555, various art galleries, concession stands, private lounges, pubs and even an extensive library. For emergency requirements, there is also a bank, a pharmacy, medical supplies, medical stations and shops that are present at the stadium.

Tickets to the Wimbledon stadium are relatively cheap, ranging from £24 to £79, and one gets much more to enjoy than just the Wimbledon matches. With a host of other things to do, visitors are sure to enjoy themselves to the fullest. The fans that attend the Wimbledon Championship are also granted an all-access pass for the Wimbledon stadium as well.