Wimbledon Championship 1951: Introduction

The pomp and pageantry surrounding the Wimbledon Championship is almost as iconic as the matches themselves, with the third of the four major grand slams boasting a 148-year history of extravagance, elegance and tradition.  

In this clip, we see American tennis champion Budge Patty, winner of the 1950 Men’s Singles title, leading a contingent of other athletes around the festival exhibit in South Bank; the atmosphere is electric, with people streaming in and mingling under the summer sunshine, excited to be a part of the spectacle and experience a taste of the upper-crust lifestyle. 

Men in suits 'prepare its famous courts for their human counterparts', a far cry from what we would see in the modern era; one can’t help but imagine they must have felt it a privilege to be responsible for such an integral part of Wimbledon. The clip highlights the first inclusion of a ‘net court judge’, the man seen sitting in line with the net during play. In 2025, Wimbledon ends its 147-year tradition of using line judges, replacing them with electronic line-calling. 

See more Australian tennis stars of Wimbledon