On this day: The first Wimbledon final

Spencer Gore

It was the afternoon of 19 July 1877, where history was about to be written at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club. It was the first ever final of the Wimbledon Championships and the two men on the court were Brits, Spencer Gore and William Marshall. It ultimately turned out to be a one-sided encounter in favour of Spencer Gore who won the match 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 and became the first ever Wimbledon champion.

Spencer Gore’s win gave birth to attacking tennis. Tennis style was very different from the style of tennis played today. During that period, the players neither tried to smash the ball in the gaps nor used their power a lot, it was just a game of fine placement by just paddling the ball over the net. But all this changed after this day. Players started training for strength and swift movement, which brought a complete change to the game-play of tennis.

The Gentlemen’s Singles event was the only competition held that year, and was contested by 22 competitors. The tournament was controlled by the Marylebone Cricket Club and they were the body who issued the rules for the tournament. The ticket charges was 1 shilling and the tournament made a profit of 10 pounds. The winner of the final won 12 guineas, plus a silver challenge cup valued at 25 guineas. The final was seen by 200 people seated at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club.

Never would have anyone imagined that this tournament would ever survive so long and would become a ‘Grand Slam’ and possibly the greatest ever tennis tournament. From Spencer Gore to Andy Murray, the tournament has seen great legendary players like Pete Sampras, Andre Aggasi , Rod Laver, and Roger Federer and is preparing many more legends in the future.