The first Wimbledon Championship began on July 9, 1877.
The inaugural event was held at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London. It featured only the Gentlemen’s Singles competition, with 22 players entering after paying one guinea. The tournament was organised partly to raise money to repair the club’s pony roller, a machine used to maintain the lawns.
Play began on Monday, July 9, but rain and scheduling interruptions delayed the final until July 19. Spencer Gore defeated William Marshall 6–1, 6–2, 6–4 in a final lasting 48 minutes. Gore received a silver challenge cup donated by the sports magazine The Field, along with 12 guineas in prize money.
The event is regarded as the first official lawn-tennis tournament and later became recognised as the first Grand Slam tournament. The draw had been made two days earlier, on July 7, which can cause confusion: July 7 was the draw date, not the start of championship play. The first Wimbledon was held at Worple Road; the club moved to its present Church Road site in 1922.