What started in 1877 as the Lawn Tennis Championship, at what was then known as the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis, has become the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Known today simply as “Wimbledon”, this spectacular event is the only Grand Slam still played on grass.
All eyes were on Serena Williams earlier this month as she entered Wimbledon as the overwhelming favorite to win a fourth straight major tennis title. She did that, in her usual impressive fashion. She bested her sister, Venus Williams, narrowly avoided an upset at the hands of unseeded Heather Watson, took down the tough Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals and absolutely dominated No. 4 seed Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. In the finals, Williams defeated Spanish rising star Garbine Muguruza in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Williams, 33, wins her 21st Grand Slam title and becomes the oldest female winner of a major. Williams has now won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in 2015. Only the U.S. Open remains. She’s looking to become the first person to win a calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.
On the Men’s side, top seed Novak Djokovic took the title, beating second seed Roger Federer in four sets. Djokovic moves ahead of Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors on the list of all-time major champions in the Open era.
Djokovic and Williams were ready to cut loose following their wins, and the Wimbledon Champions’ Ball gave them the perfect opportunity to show their moves on the dance floor. The “Winners’ Dance” tradition ended years ago, but these two boogied down to the Bee Gees’ Night Fever during the Ball much to the delight of their peers.
The action continues with the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, August 31 through September 13 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Winspire’s tennis packages – Next Year’s U.S. Open and Wimbledon championships – are both available to use in your fundraising events. Give your patrons a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a trip to England or New York to watch history be made and support your cause.
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