All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club are invited to become members. The patron of the club is Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and the President is The Duke of Kent. The Club was founded by six gentlemen at the offices of "The Field" on 23 July 1868 at the height of a croquet craze as the "All England Croquet Club," and held its first croquet competition in 1870. Its original ground was situated off Worple Road, Wimbledon. Croquet was very popular there until the then-infant sport of lawn tennis (a game introduced by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield a year or so prior, and originally called "Sphairistikè") was
1897 Wimbledon Championships defeated Charlotte Cooper, 5–7, 7–5, 6–2 Laurence Doherty / Reginald Doherty defeated Herbert Baddeley / Wilfred Baddeley, 6–4, 4–6, 8–6, 6–4 1897 Wimbledon Championships The 1897 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament ran from 21 June until 1 July. It was the 21st staging of the Wimbledon Championships, and the first Grand Slam tennis event of 1897. No matches were played on the first Tuesday to mark Queen Victoria's jubilee. Reginald Doherty defeated Harold Mahony in the Challenge