Britain is wrapped up in Tennis fever right now. We all have a special love for the worlds oldest Tennis tournament, despite the fact we hardly ever win it! So if you are coming to Britain you can’t go wrong talking a bit of Tennis. Here’s what you need to know;

Wimbledon is a district in South West London and the tournament is played at the All England Club. It’s the most prestigious event in the Tennis calendar and is actually called ‘The Championships’. However, everybody simply refers to the tournament as ‘Wimbledon’. Much easier.

If you are a fan of Tennis you are probably familiar with the players from your home country. If you want to talk about British tennis players there are 3 you need to know:

Fred Perry: A legend of British Tennis from the 1930’s era, and our most successful player by far. He has clothing brands, sports shoes, cafes, equipment, all kinds of things named after him. You will likely see his name everywhere so a good name to know.

Tim Henman: A major celebrity in Britain and our most famous current Tennis ambassador. He is sadly mostly famous for never actually winning the tournament! Every year Brits around the country pinned their hopes on Tim to win, and every year we left disappointed! Despite this he is well loved and fans that can’t afford the crazy tournament ticket prices all gather outside the grounds to watch the action on a big screen. It’s unofficially referred to as Henman Hill.

Andy Murray: Current British number 1 Andy has won Wimbledon twice in his career. Pretty good considering he is playing alongside the greatest players the world has ever seen right now. He is known for his hard work and tenacity. Nobody fights like Andy Murray. He has had an amazing career and is a great source of pride for Britain, despite having many injuries over the years. Come to Britain and shout COME ON MURRAY!

Wimbledon is played once a year at the same time. It is usually during some our nicest weather. There are many courts that they play on, but the most famous is called ‘Centre Court’ and is the massive stadium you see in all the photos. They installed a roof a few years ago because even tho we have nice summers it does still rain a lot! It is a very prestigious event and packed with celebrities. Tickets are impossible to get! The royal family turns up and everybody eats Strawberries and cream while drinking Pimms in the sunshine!

That is my quick guide to Wimbledon and how it fits into British culture. Apologies to real Tennis fans out there, this isn’t about Tennis. But when you come to a new country it’s nice to know what everybody is talking about!

For more info on the tournament click here: https://www.wimbledon.com/

For more info about speaking exquisite English click here: