Did you know..?

• King Louis X lost his life to tennis: he died of a chill after playing an energetic game of 'jeu de paume' in 1316.
• At the All-England club, Centre Court and No.1 court are used only for the championships.
• Today, 'Real Tennis' is called Royal Tennis in Australia, Court Tennis in the States, and Jeu de Paume ("handball") in France.
• In 1890 all 3 titles at Wimbledon (men's and ladies' singles and men's doubles) were all won by Irish nationals.
• Charles I built a court at Hampton Court (about 6 miles from Wimbledon) in 1625 which is still used for championship play today.
• The All-England Club's colours, dark green and purple, were introduced in 1909. No-one seems to know why that combination was chosen.
• The first Wimbledon men's singles champion received a trophy worth 25 guineas (£26/$43). The 2012 champion will win £1,150,000.
• Until 1990 Centre Court had places for 2000 standing spectators; it is now all seating.
• Henry VIII was an addicted gambler and many of his financial problems were due to his massive wagers on the Real Tennis court...
• ...but by the end of his life, he was so large and unhealthy that he had to have a servant throw the ball in the air for him to serve - he found the exhertion just too much for him to do it himself.
• The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded by John Walsh, editor of The Field magazine, together with 5 friends.
• The first lawn tennis championships at Wimbledon were held to raise money for a pony-drawn roller for the club’s croquet lawns.