Royalty. Sun. Strawberries. Cream. Oh, and tennis.
Every year in London, it feels like the whole world descends on one of its southernmost suburbs: Wimbledon. Nearly a century and a half old, the historic tennis tournament — one of four Grand Slams on the ATP Tour — lasts around two weeks at the beginning of July and promises some of the most thrilling grass-court tennis you’ve ever seen (as well as some awful tube traffic).
The quality of the game only seems to rise every year as seeded and unseeded players alike battle each knock-out match like it’s the last they’ll ever play. The anointing of its gentlemen’s and ladies’ singles victors remains the highest achievement in the sport. You could be Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Serena Williams, or even better, and you’ll still thirst for a Wimbledon win more than any other Slam.
Granted, the prize money will only contribute to that competitiveness: The total tournament pool of winnings comes to an eye-watering £64,200,000 (approximately $85.8 million), with the singles champions taking home £3.6 million ($4.8 million) each. Compare this to 1968, when the men’s winner would earn £2000 ($2,600), and the women’s just £500 ($670), and it doesn’t take long to see how lucrative a sport tennis has become over the course of six decades.
