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
1896 Wimbledon Championships 1896 Wimbledon Championships The 1896 Wimbledon Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament ran from 13 July until 21 July. It was the 20th staging of the Wimbledon Championships, and the first Grand Slam tennis event of 1896. The number of entries for the men's singles competition was 31, the highest since 1881. Harold Mahony and Charlotte Cooper won the singles titles. The All England Plate was introduced for players who had lost in the first or second round of the singles. Harold Mahony defeated