Wimbledon Celebrates 100 Years Of Centre Court

A tournament steeped in history, Wimbledon has reached a major milestone this year. The Championships 2022 mark 100 years of Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

While the tournament and its show court have modernised over the years, including the addition of the Centre Court roof in 2009, the event remains faithful to its early roots and traditions.

King George V officially opened the new grounds at Church Road in 1922 with three bangs of a percussion instrument. Fourteen years later, Great Britain's Fred Perry won his third straight Wimbledon title in 1936 on Centre Court. Perry was the last British man to claim his home trophy until Andy Murray's famous victory in 2013.

The new roof was not the only construction completed on the famous court in its history. While The Championships were suspended during World War II, Centre Court was hit by a bomb in October 1940, when a corner of the stand was damaged. The event resumed in 1946 before repairs were completed the following year.

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One popular Centre Court tradition holds that the defending men's champion earns the privilege of opening the next year's play on Centre Court. Six-time champion Novak Djokovic has enjoyed that honour many times throughout his career. 

"It's always very unique match to play as the defending champion, first on the grass," he said following his opening-round victory against Soonwoo Kwon on Monday. "Other than this year that Wimbledon made a change so you could practise [on the court] before the tournament starts, it was always coming out on the untouched grass. It's really a unique and special feeling in our sport."

The Serbian calls Wimbledon his favourite tournament, the one he dreamed of winning as a child.

"Of course every time I step out there on the court, there is this goose bumps type of feeling, butterflies in the stomach," he added, "because of the significance in my life and in my career."

John Isner has far less experience on the show court, but returned Wednesday for his second-round meeting with Great Britain's Andy Murray. The American echoed Djokovic's sentiments ahead of the match.

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Wimbledon's celebrations of the centenary include a new exhibition at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, titled 100 Years Of Change, and a special ceremony set for Middle Sunday on 3 July.

Looking forward to the court's second century, Wimbledon is also making efforts to appeal to the younger generation of fans with a new immersive game. With "WimbleWorld", a virtual, 3D Centre Court has been created for fans to explore on the Roblox online game platform.