1881 Wimbledon Championship 1881 Wimbledon Championship The 1881 Wimbledon Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament ran from 2 July until 13 July. It was the 5th staging of the Wimbledon Championships, and the first Grand Slam tennis event of 1881. The defending champion John Hartley lost in straight sets in the final to challenger William Renshaw, who defeated Hartley in 37 minutes, 6–0, 6–1, 6–1. The result is said to have been caused by Hartley suffering from an attack of 'English cholera'. William Renshaw defeated
The Championships, Wimbledon on the Saturday. The five main events span both weeks, but the junior and invitational events are held mainly during the second week. Traditionally, unlike the other three tennis Grand Slams, there is no play on the "Middle Sunday", which is considered a rest day. However, rain has forced play on the Middle Sunday four times, in 1991, 1997, 2004 and 2016. On the first of these four occasions, Wimbledon staged a "People's Sunday", with unreserved seating and readily available, inexpensive tickets, allowing those with more limited means to sit on the show courts. The second Monday at Wimbledon is