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Today marks the first day of Wimbledon, one of the most anticipated sporting events of the London’s calendar, which will be running until 13 July. Read on to find out where you can watch the tournament in Mayfair, and the history of the Championships.
Wimbledon in Mayfair
Historic Audley Public House, located on Mount Street, will be screening the matches each day and serving Pimm’s alongside strawberries and cream. It’s open 11am-11pm (Mon – Sat) and 11am-10.30pm (Sun).
The history of Wimbledon
The Championships were first held in Wimbledon in 1877 and the players had to pay a guinea to compete. Lawn tennis was then only a very new sport – it had been devised in the previous year as an outdoor version of ‘real tennis’. From the very first tournament until the present day, strawberries and cream have been a popular refreshment for spectators.
The word ‘tennis’ comes from the French tenez, meaning ‘take heed’. Henry VIII was a huge fan of the sport; he had courts built in several of his palaces and was renowned for playing very enthusiastically!