Wimbledon. It's a word that stands for tennis at its best.Although it is first of all name of a London suburb, for millions of tennis fans around world it is shorthand for sportsmanship, athletic prowess, and celebrity stardom. For half-a-million or so people who manage to see at least some of annual championship games in person, it also means a huge social event.
One of great things about championship tennis tournament played every summer at Wimbledon is that it's one of few major sporting events for which average fan (i.e, neither rich nor well-connected) stands a decent chance of gaining entry.
Interestingly, Wimbledon games ultimately owe their existence not to tennis but to another, more sedate, game that was all rage among Victorians: croquet. You see, private club that sponsors world's foremost tennis championship was founded originally as The All England Croquet Club.
Founded in 1868, club did not hold its first tennis championships until 1877. Those games were witnessed by a few hundred spectators in what is described as a "garden party atmosphere."
For a long time now club's name has been The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and Wimbledon championships are attended by more than 500,000 people as well as carried to millions around world through mass media and Internet.
The tournament starts six weeks before first Monday in August and runs for approximately two weeks. Players from more than 60 countries regularly compete.
If you're planning to be in London during two June or July weeks when tournament is being played, getting in to see at least a match or two would be a marvelous experience for any tennis fan. So how can you score a ticket to this greatest of all tennis events?
If you definitely want to attend next year's Wimbledon, you should enter public ballot (or lottery) that is held each January for some of Centre Court and No. 1 Court seats. You will need some luck to pick up a ticket this way, but it's worth a try. All it takes is obtaining official application form and returning it by deadline (the exact procedures and addresses are detailed on Tops 4 Tennis Web site at www.tops4tennis.com/articles/wimbledon.html).