J.A. Hampton / Hulton Archive / Getty
World careers began and dreams were shattered on the sacred lawn of Church Road. This year Center Court will be 100 years old.
The now 100-year-old Center Court was opened by King George V in 1922 and has since been the center of many a spectacular match, but also more than one tragedy.
On October 11, 1940, when the German Luftwaffe covered London for 56 days with a continuous bombardment that went down in the history of the Second World War as the “Blitz”, the plant was hit by five bombs, which were actually aimed at a nearby factory. One of the five bombs hit the roof of Center Court and destroyed 1,200 seats. It took the All England Lawn Tennis Club nine years to repair the damage.
Center Court at Wimbledon shortly after completion in 1922.
French Suzanne Lenglen won Wimbledon six times in the 1920s.
Tea time outside Center Court in 1926.
King George V and Queen Mary at a ceremony in 1926 with Suzanne Lenglen (right).
Fred Perry won Wimbledon in 1934, 1935 and 1936. It wasn’t until 2013, 77 years later, that a Brit, Andy Murray, prevailed again.
The Briton D. W. Butler in 1946. It is the first tournament after a six-year break due to the Second World War.
In 1947, rain is still the great natural enemy. Center Court has only had a closable roof since 2009.
Nobody has won more singles titles at Wimbledon than nine-time tournament champion Martina Navratilova, here in 1979.
Björn Borg won five times in a row from 1976 to 1980. In 1980 the Swede defeated the American John McEnroe in five sets (1:6, 6:3, 7:5, 6:7, 8:6).
A female Björn Borg fan performs at a rock concert on posh Center Court in 1975.
Seven-time Wimbledon winner: Steffi Graf.
Boris Becker won Wimbledon for the first time in 1985, at the age of 17. It’s the birth of a star.
Martina Hingis prevailed at Wimbledon in 1997, the best year of her career. The eastern Swiss is only 16 years old.
Pete Sampras, here in 1997, wins the tournament seven times. Roger Federer would later replace him as the record winner.
Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon on July 6, 2003.
