Wimbledon and its tradition!

It's the most traditional and prestigious tennis tournament in the world, but why is that so? 

Up until today, Wimbledon has retained a special, old-fashioned and noble character which is why Wimbledon is a class of its own and different than other Grand Slams. Only here it's the old rule that over 90 percent of the apparel must be white. The audience eats traditionally strawberries with cream and has to withstand rainshowers on a frequent basis. It's also tradition that the first Sunday of the tournament is a rest day, so no tennis is played. The opening match standard takes place on Centre Court and it's the honor of the defending champion to play the first match of the tournament.

When George V visited the tennis tournament in 1907, it was the first time that a member of the British Royal Family came to Wimbledon. The tournament organization decided in 1922 to establish the "royal box" with 74 seats reserved for members of the royal family, politicians, athletes and other celebrities. As President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, it's the Duke of Kent who presents the Wimbledon trophies to the winners of the men's tournament. Queen Elizabeth II has attended the awards ceremony at Wimbledon twice already, in 1957 and in 1962. From 1969 to 2001,  the wife of the Duke of Kent, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, had the honor to hand over the trophies to the female winners of the tournament. Until a rule change in 2003, it was expected from the tennis players who played on Center Court to express their respect to the attending member of the royal family by bowing (gentlemen) or doing a curtsy (ladies) when leaving the court. 

Looking forward to 2 weeks top class tennis, exciting matches, drama and fight from the first round all the way to the finals. On the tournament's website (www.Wimbledon.com) you can find summaries, interviews, photos and everything else you need to know about the event.