Why are strawberries and cream served at Wimbledon?

It's a major event in the sporting calendar, and, combined with its rich and impressive history, Wimbledon is always a smash hit! Every year, top tennis players from around the globe serve up their best shots in front of millions of viewers to try and win the legendary Grand Slam title.

From the iconic strawberries and cream (a real crowd-pleaser) to the star-studded Centre Court and Royal patrons, Wimbledon always brings its A-game with some truly memorable moments. But before you get too caught up in the spin, ask yourself: how much do you really know about this grand event?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! At Bitesize, we’ve volleyed together some ace facts to help you up your game.

The first men’s tennis tournament to be held at the (what was then known as) All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon was in July 1877.

And it wasn't the glamorous event we're used to today. Back then, 22 players had to pay to play! The cost? One guinea, which works out at about £1.05 in today's money.

Maybe a little less unsurprising is the fact that the British weather was playing a major role in Wimbledon, even back in the 1800s. Rain forced the 1877 final to be delayed for three days before it was finally played on 19 July in front of 200 people who paid one shilling (5p) to watch 27-year-old Spencer Gore, from Wandsworth, take victory. These days, a ticket to sit in the first 20 rows for Sunday’s final on Centre Court will set you back £315 - a far cry from the price of almost 150 years ago!

Gore's reward for winning was prize money of 12 guineas (about £12.60), and a silver challenge cup.

Roger Federer holds the record for the most Wimbledon men’s singles titles – he’s won a total of eight times, in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017.

In the women’s singles, Martina Navratilova has the most titles, with a total of nine in 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1990.

Prior to 1968, only amateur players were allowed to participate in Grand Slam tournaments. Since then, in what is known as the Open Era - where professional tennis players are permitted to compete - Wimbledon has only been won by a British competitor twice.

That honour goes to Andy Murray who beat Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the final in 2013, and Canadian player Milos Raonic in 2016. Check out his career in pictures here.

Approximately 250 Ball Boys and Ball Girls (BBGs) are chosen to work at Wimbledon out of about 1,000 applicants. Around 170 of those are picked from Year 9 and Year 10 students from various schools, usually around London. The remaining 80 are BBGs from previous years. The average age for BBGs is 15.

Training for BBGs begins in February and takes place once a fortnight. After Easter, training takes place at Wimbledon and lasts where weekly training sessions will then last between 2-2.5 hours with 50-60 children per session.

Eventually, six teams made up of six children in each team are selected to be responsible for Centre and No.1 Courts. Their usual routine is one hour on the court, before they get a one-hour break.

Here at Bitesize, we spoke to three Wimbledon BBGs to find out what it's really like.

Strawberries and cream have long been tradition at Wimbledon. The fruity snack is believed to date back to the very early days of the competition, in the Victorian era, when strawberries were a seasonal delicacy and only available for a few weeks in June and July. This coincided perfectly with the tennis Grand Slam and it is still a popular treat to this day!

For many years, the price for a portion of strawberries and cream at Wimbledon has been £2.50, though there are reports this year that the price will be raised to £2.70.

A whopping 140,000 portions are served each year at the tournament. That means that on average, about 28,000 kilograms of strawberries and 7,000 litres of cream are consumed!

Find out more about other Wimbledon traditions here.

Since the tournament opened to professionals in 1968, the prize money has risen significantly.

In 1968, the winner of the gentlemen’s singles competition was given £2,000 in prize money, while the winner of the ladies’ singles competition got just £750.

These days, things are much more equal. Both the winning man and woman in the 2025 tournament will receive a whopping £3m in prize money (in 2024 it was £2.7m). In total, the club will hand out £53.5m in prizes this year.

• Think you know all about Wimbledon? Try our quiz to test your Grand Slam knowledge!
• A bluffer's guide to Wimbledon
• Jobs in sport: Working at Wimbledon
• Make sure to check out the tennis-tastic Wimbledon collection from CBBC!