The Championships, Wimbledon

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Wimbledon, fully The Championships, Wimbledon, is a two-week tennis tournament held at the All England Club in June-July, one of the four Grand Slam events, and the only one played on grass. Dating back to 1877, it is the oldest and best-known tennis competition in the world, and involves both singles and doubles matches.

Players are seeded in the tournament; for example, the top 32 in each of the gentlemen's and ladies' singles matches are divided so that, barring upsets, they would meet in the third round of this knock-out competition. Finalists compete on the Centre Court, which since 2009 has featured a retractable roof to allay fears of a 'Wimbledon washout', i.e. severe delays due to rain. Players are also subject to a strict dress code - colours other than white are restricted - and there is less advertising on-court than at many other sporting events. Spectators are often seen enjoying strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, and long queues form to get into many of the matches.

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