What prize was Maud Watson awarded for the first Wimbledon ladies' singles title?

Maud Watson was awarded a silver flower-basket for winning the first Wimbledon ladies’ singles title.

Watson won the inaugural women’s singles championship at Wimbledon in 1884, defeating her sister Lilian Watson in the final, 6–8, 6–3, 6–3. She was 19 years old and emerged from a field of 13 competitors. Her prize was a silver flower-basket valued at 20 guineas.

The award reflects the presentation traditions of early lawn tennis, when championship trophies and prizes were often decorative objects rather than the familiar cups and salvers associated with modern tournaments. The first women’s singles championship itself was a significant expansion of Wimbledon’s programme.

Watson successfully defended the title in 1885, beating Blanche Bingley. She remained the only woman to win Wimbledon’s first two ladies’ singles championships. The silver flower-basket should not be confused with the Venus Rosewater Dish, which became the women’s singles trophy much later.