The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is located in Wimbledon, southwest London, and has hosted the Championships since 1877. Centre Court, the main showcourt, seats 15,000 spectators and has featured a retractable roof since 2009. No. 1 Court seats 12,345 and received its own retractable roof in 2019. The club moved to its current Church Road site in 1922, and the grounds now include 18 championship grass courts along with practice and qualifying facilities.
Centre Court is one of the most famous sporting venues in the world. It is used exclusively during the Wimbledon fortnight and a handful of preparation days, which helps preserve the grass surface for championship play. The retractable roof, which takes approximately 10 minutes to close and 30 minutes for conditions to stabilize, was first used in competition during a fourth-round match between Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka in 2009. No. 1 Court was rebuilt and expanded for the 2019 Championships, adding a retractable roof and increasing capacity. The two covered courts give Wimbledon the ability to guarantee play on its main showcourts regardless of English summer weather.
Centre Court has witnessed defining moments across nearly 150 years of tennis. Bjorn Borg won five consecutive titles from 1976 to 1980. His 1980 final against John McEnroe, in which McEnroe won a legendary fourth-set tiebreak 18-16 before Borg prevailed in five sets, is regarded as one of the great sporting contests of the 20th century. Venus Williams won five women’s singles titles between 2000 and 2008. Andy Murray’s 2013 victory ended a 77-year wait for a British men’s singles champion, producing one of the most emotionally charged atmospheres in the venue’s history.
London operates on British Summer Time (BST), UTC+1 during the late June and July tournament window. Play on Centre Court begins at 13:30 local time, which is 14:30 in Paris, 08:30 in New York, and 22:30 in Melbourne. Outside courts open at 11:00. Check London time or United Kingdom time for current local time at the venue.