Wimbledon 2023: Schedule, History, Favourites, and All You Need to Know

• The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament is here
• Novak Djokovic is looking to make history at Wimbledon
• Sports looks at some of the facts and details of the tourney

The 2023 Wimbledon Championships are here. Top tennis players from all over the globe have already flocked to the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club for the 136th edition of the event.

In the men's singles event, Novak Djokovic is chasing his 24th Grand Slam, while Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina is looking to defend the women's singles title she won last year.

Djokovic is hoping to become the first man to achieve a calendar year Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969. Furthermore, the Serb has won the last four Wimbledon events.

If he wins this time around, he will equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

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Rybakina became the first Kazakhstan player to win a Grand Slam singles championship when she beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the women's singles final last year.

Sports Brief lists everything you need to know about this year's Wimbledon.

When does Wimbledon start?

The 2023 event will be held from July 3 to 16. The tournament, played on a grass court, was established in 1877 with 22 male participants.

It was a more primitive sport back then - the rackets resembled snowshoes, and the balls had hand-sewn outer casings.

The total attendance for the final was 200 people. It was won by Spencer Gore, who took home the trophy and prize money of 12 guineas.

Where's the nearest tube station?

Since parking at the venue is difficult, Wimbledon advises fans to use public transport. The nearest tube stations are Southfields (District Line) and Wimbledon (District Line and Main Line).  It's a walk of 5 to 20 minutes from the station to the venue.

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Will Novak Djokovic play?

The Serbian superstar will participate in the event and is one of the favourites to win it. He is known as the Australian Open king with 14 titles.

He enters the competition as the No. 2 seed behind US Open champion, Carloz Alcaraz. He is looking to win his 8th Wimbledon title, which would match Roger Federer's record.

Why is it called Wimbledon?

Unlike the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open, Wimbledon is named after where the event takes place, in southwest London.

Different tennis courts

A normal tennis court must be rectangular in shape, measuring 23.77 metres long. The width is different for doubles (10.97 metres) and singles (8.23 metres).

Grass courts are the most traditional surfaces. Wimbledon, the oldest and most prestigious tennis event, is played on grass courts. These courts are considered the toughest to play on since the ball skids, producing an unpredictable bounce.

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Clay courts are made of crushed shale stone and other substances. The French Open is played on red clay courts. The matches played here are tough as the ball bounces high, making it difficult to hit quick winners.

Hard courts are made of asphalt and concrete, therefore, making them easy to maintain. They are the most common type of courts and are used in the US and Australian Opens.

Men, women rules in tennis

Tennis rules for men and women are different.

Men’s tennis matches have always been played with more sets than women’s. In Grand Slams, men play best-of-five sets. Women's tennis is played in a best-of-three format.

Who are the Wimbledon favourites?

Djokovic is looking to win his fifth straight Wimbledon title. He can surpass Serena Williams in the most amount of majors won.

Iga Swiatek is fresh off a successful Roland Garros, where she won her third French Open title. She is looking for her fifth major. The Pole is just 5-3 at Wimbledon in her career and has never gone past the quarters.

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Player earnings at Roland Garros

Sports Brief previously looked at what players earn at Roland Garros per round of the competition.

The prize money for the 2023 French Open was €49.6 million ($54.6 million), up 12.3% from 2022.

In singles, the champion pocketed $2,478,426, while players who made the first round got $74,352.