Wimbledon Stories: The Championship Trophies - Gentlemen's, Ladies' & Mixed Doubles

Welcome everyone 🎾 🏆

This is the 5th edition of the “Wimbledon Stories by Edem Spio” newsletter. Every week I’ll share stories of the many aspects of the Greatest Tennis Grand Slam in the world as a build up to this year’s The Championships! For fellow Tennis lovers as myself, I hope you end up loving Wimbledon – if you already haven’t – as you interact with these stories. For non-tennis fans, I hope you enjoy my weekly pieces!

P.S. As you can clearly tell (from the newsletter's photo), I am a massive Federer fan. I’ve been following him actively since childhood and he’s one of the inspirations behind this newsletter - let him know! Roger is and will always be the Tennis GOAT!

Let’s begin!

“CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES”

GENTLEMEN'S DOUBLES

The gentlemen's doubles edition of The Championships was introduced in 1884. The silver Challenge Cup - the trophy for the gentlemen's doubles - was presented to the AELTC by the Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club (how very thoughtful of them!) after they had decided to stop their version of a doubles championships - early on in the year - due to the lack of support.

The trophy (as seen above) is made of sterling silver with a height of 9 inches and a width of 11 inches. On the front of the trophy is the emblem of the Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club. A scene showing a 'four-handed' match - commonplace in 1884 - can be seen on the back of the trophy. The silver Challenge Cup stands on a round black plinth which is bound by a silver band on which the names and dates of all winners from 1879 - when the Oxford Lawn Tennis Club was running its doubles event - are engraved.

To allow each gentlemen's doubles winner to experience the feeling of being presented a trophy, a companion trophy was introduced in 1937 (it was about time! How it took them 50+ years to realize this I do not know!) The only difference between the original and the companion trophy is that the latter does not have the Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club emblem inscribed on it.

Fun Fact: The companion trophy was originally presented to ex Club Chairman, Sir Herbert Wilberforce, upon his resignation from the role. He subsequently returned it to the used as a pair with the doubles trophy (such a delightfully thoughtful man!)

LADIES' DOUBLES

In 1913, the AELTC introduced the ladies' doubles to the lineup of the Championships. In the same year, the Lawn Tennis Association ( LTA ) accepted the 'World Championships on Grass' from the International Lawn Tennis Federation on behalf of the British Isles. They subsequently donated the original trophies for the ladies' and mixed doubles to the AELTC that year. Unfortunately, the original trophies went missing in 1942 - after World War 2 had started in 1939 - when the building they were placed in was bombed by the enemy.

The current trophy (as seen above) is an elegant silver Challenge Cup. It was presented to the AELTC by HRH Princess Marina - the then Duchess of Kent - in 1949. It's 17 inches high and its base diameter is 4.5 inches. It stands on a round black plinth bounded by two silver bands, upon which the names and dates of winners from 1949 are engraved on. Similar to that of the men's doubles trophy, a companion trophy was introduced in 2001 to enable each winner to be presented with a trophy (I honestly don't get how it took another 50 years to realize this).

MIXED DOUBLES

The mixed doubles were introduced in 1913. After losing the original trophy for the mixed doubles due to the Second World War, a new trophy was presented to the AELTC by the family of S.H. Smith - a two-time doubles champion in 1902 and 1906 respectively. The trophy (as seen below) is made of sterling silver and is 17 inches high with a base of 5.5 inches. It stands on a round black plinth which is bounded by two silver bands, upon which the names and dates of winners from 1949 are engraved. Similar to the ladies' doubles, a companion trophy was introduced in 2001.

Fun Fact: The trophy presented by S.H Smith's family was his property after winning the singles event of the Northern Championships three times in a row.

That's all for now folks! Make sure to tune in next week for more Wimbledon stories. Don't forget to like, comment, share and subscribe to the newsletter! Wishing you a Championship Point week!