In the archives: The Wimbledon Tennis Championships
Like many sporting events globally, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships have been cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 134th Championships will instead take place from June 28 to July 11 2021.
Here we take a look back through our photo archive, showing the drama and spectacle of the event throughout the years, on what would have been the second week of the tournament.
A general view of the tennis matches in progress on the All England Courts at Wimbledon, London on June 22, 1932. (AP Photo/Len Puttnam)
William T. Tilden winning his match at Wimbledon, London, England on July 12, 1920. (AP Photo)
Spain's Lili de Alvarez, left, and Germany's Cilly Aussem before the start of their match in the women's singles competition at Wimbledon, London, on June 2, 1928. De Alvarez won the match 7-5, 6-2. (AP Photo)
Wimbledon stars pose at the Roehampton Club, London, during a reception for the overseas tennis champions who will be playing at Wimbledon, June 24, 1929. From left: Joan Fry, Madzy Rollin Couquerque, Beryl Collier, Bill Tilden, Kea Bouman and Frank Hunter. (AP Photo)
American tennis player Helen Wills Moody arriving at the Wimbledon courts with spare rackets, to prepare for the Wightman Cup Championships at Wimbledon, London, England on June 6, 1930. (AP Photo)
British tennis player Fred Perry during a match against Belgium's Andre Lacroix, unseen, in the first round of the men's singles at Wimbledon, England on June 26, 1933. (AP Photo/Len Puttnam)
Gertrude Augusta Moran of Santa Monica, Ca., races across the court during her women's singles match against Betty Wilford, at Wimbledon, London, on June 22, 1949. Moran won the match 6-1, 6-4. (AP Photo/Robert Rider-Rider)
Britain's Queen Mary looks at an animated spectator during a match between Germany's Gottfried von Cramm and American Donald Budge, both unseen, at the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon in London, England on July 3, 1935. (AP Photo/Len Puttnam)
Queen Elizabeth II of England, right, presents the winners trophy to Althea Gibson who won the women's title in the All England Lawn Tennis Championship at Wimbledon, England, July 6, 1957. Gibson defeated Darlene Hard, left, 6-3, 6-2. (AP Photo)
General view over the courts of the All England Tennis Club at Wimbledon, June 24, 1958. (AP Photo)
Jaroslav Drobny of Egypt, self-exiled from Czechoslavkia, receives the Challenge Cup trophy from the Duchess of Kent after winning the men's singles title in the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, July 2, 1954. (AP Photo)
The Duchess of Kent, center, presents the trophy for the ladies' doubles title to Angela Buxton, left, and Althea Gibson, right, following their victory at Wimbledon, England, July 7, 1956. They defeated the Australian team of Fay Muller and Daphne Seeney, 6-1, 8-6. (AP Photo)
Arthur Ashe in play on the Center Court on July 5, 1975, at Wimbledon against fellow American Jimmy Connors, the defending champion, in the men's singles final in England. (AP Photo)
America's Chris Evert, left, and Martina Navratilova display their trophy to the crowd after winning the women's mixed doubles of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, in Wimbledon, England, July 3, 1976. Evert and Navratilova beat Billie Jean King and Betty Stove 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 to win the title. (AP Photo/Robert Dear)
Sweden's Bjorn Borg falls to his knees in front of the scoreboard on the Centre Court, Wimbledon, London, July 5, 1980, after beating American John McEnroe, unseen, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 8-6, to take the mens singles final for the fifth year in succession. (AP Photo/Robert Dear)
John McEnroe spreads his arms wide, as he argues with umpire Edward James, on Wimbledon's Number One court on Monday, June 22, 1981 in London, during his men's singles first round match against fellow American Tom Gullikson. McEnroe, who argued with the umpire, insulted the tournament referee, broke a racket and gave away two penalty points on his way to defeating Gullikson 7-6, 6-3, 6-3, said afterwards, "if others can manage to keep calm, why not me?". (AP Photo/Peter Kemp)
Chris Evert, left, and Martina Navratilova joke with Police Constable Les Bowie on Number Two Court at Wimbledon, England, July 4, 1985. The two American tennis players will next meet in the Wimbledon women's singles final on Saturday, July 6. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)
Britain’s Diana Princess of Wales registers a range of emotions, as she watches the men's singles, fourth round tennis match between Australia’s Pat Cash and Sweden’s Mats Wilander, from the Royal Box at Wimbledon’s Centre Court, London, June 30, 1986. Cash scored a surprise win over Wilander. (AP Photo/Robert Dear)
Tennis fans cheer and sing songs in the rain at Wimbledon as they waited for the rain to stop and play to start in the Tennis Championships, June 26, 1982. (AP Photo)
Veteran British singer Cliff Richard, accompanied by a chorus of tennis stars, from left, Pam Shriver, Rosalyn Nideffer, Martina Navratilova, and Gigi Fernandez, entertain the crowd on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Wednesday, July 3, 1996, while rain held up the men's singles quarter-final between Pete Sampras and Richard Krajicek. (AP Photo/Gill Allen)
German tennis star Boris Becker appeals for quiet from the crowd during his men's singles third round match against Sammy Giammalva of the U.S. on Wimbledon's Number One court, June 25, 1988. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)
Andre Agassi, right, and Germany’s Bernd Karbacher sit facing the ends of Wimbledon’s Centre Court during a break in their men’s singles match, Monday, June 21, 1993 in Wimbledon. This security measure allows the players to see the crowd, and is a result of Monica Seles’ stabbing earlier this year during a tournament in Germany. (AP Photo/Denis Paquin)
Tennis fans buy strawberries from a stall outside the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Wednesday July 5, 1995. Strawberries and cream are one of the traditional annual treats for fans at the All England Championships. (AP Photo/Gill Allen)
Britain's Tim Henman, stretches for a backhand return to Sweden's Magnus Gustafsson, during their men's singles fourth round match on Wimbledon's Centre Court, Monday, July 1 1996. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)
Venus Williams serves, as sister Serena waits for the return, during their women's doubles match against Irina Spirlea and Caroline Vis, at Wimbledon, Tuesday, July 4, 2000. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)