Wimbledon 2023 is back: Fun Facts about the iconic tennis tournament
Summer is well and truly underway and supermarkets will be stocking up on strawberries and cream, which can only mean one thing - the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament is back!
The Wimbledon Championships is the longest-running tennis tournament in the world, and this year will mark the 136th competition.
To mark the occasion, the team at Betway have compiled a list of interesting facts about the iconic tennis tournament, that might amaze even the most dedicated of fans:
-
The longest Wimbledon match lasted over 11 hours
The longest-ever Wimbledon tennis match famously happened back in 2010 and was contested over three days between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes.
Play was halted numerous times due to lack of natural light, but John Isner eventually triumphed 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68.
-
The players with the most titles
Roger Federer has won the most men's singles titles, lifting the trophy an impressive eight times. His first victory came in 2003 and his most recent in 2017.
Martina Navratilova has won the most women's singles titles claiming the trophy a whopping nine times. Her first win was back in 1978 and her last Wimbledon singles title was claimed 12 years later in 1990.
-
How many tennis balls are used during the tournament?
Over the course of the two weeks, Wimbledon goes through 55,000 balls which are replaced after every seven to nine games, to make sure they're in perfect condition for each match.
The balls are stored in a courtside refrigerator at exactly 68°F to help maintain a pristine condition, as the temperature has a major effect on the ball's performance.
-
Wimbledon 2022 broke streaming viewership records
Fans who missed out on the chance to get tickets can stream the action from the comfort of their own home, or soak up the atmosphere at one of the many locations across the country streaming the championships on a big screen.
The BBC's coverage of last year's tennis Grand Slam set a new streaming record of 53.8 million viewers across BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online, making it the most streamed Wimbledon of all time.
-
200,000 portions of strawberries and cream will be served
Strawberries and cream have been served at Wimbledon since the very first tournament in 1877 and have become a major tradition at the iconic event.
The Championships serve roughly 200,000 portions of the famous snack on average during the tournament, and approximately 10,000 litres of cream and 28,000 kilograms of strawberries.
-
Who holds the record for fastest serves at Wimbledon?
Taylor Dent holds the record for the fastest serve by a male player which occurred in 2010 and had a speed of 148 mph.
The fastest serve by a female player occurred in 2008 by Venus Williams and reached speeds of 129 mph.
-
Wimbledon x Slazenger is the longest-running sporting sponsorship in history
The longest-running sporting sponsorship in history is between the Wimbledon tennis tournament and Slazenger, who has been the official supplier of balls for the tournament since 1902.
Slazenger tennis balls were first requested to be used at Wimbledon by champion tennis players and started out as traditional white balls. Yellow balls were introduced in 1986 to aid visibility for TV viewers.
-
Wimbledon is a great opportunity to do some celeb-spotting
Some of the world's most renowned and iconic celebrities have been spotted soaking up the atmosphere in the Royal Box on Wimbledon's Centre Court.
Previous sightings have included David and Victoria Beckham, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Bradley Cooper, Drake, Keira Knightley, Benedict Cumberbatch, and of course, The Prince and Princess of Wales.
It begs the question, which famous faces will be making an appearance at this year's tournament?
