All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club: History and Key Facts

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), also known as the All England Club, is a private members' club based at Church Road in the Wimbledon area of London, England. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass. It has been played every year since 1877 from late June to mid-July with the exceptions of World War I (1915–1918), World War II (1940–1945) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). Initially an amateur event that occupied club members and their friends for a few days each summer, the championships have become far more prominent than the club itself.

The club has 375 full members, about 100 temporary playing members, and a number of honorary members. To become a full or temporary member, an applicant must obtain letters of support from four existing full members, two of whom must have known the applicant for at least three years. The name is then added to the candidates' list. Honorary members are elected from time to time by the club's committee. Membership carries with it the right to purchase two tickets for each day of the Wimbledon Championships. In addition to this, all champions are invited to become members.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been the patron of the club since 2016, and took over in 2021 from Prince Edward, Duke of Kent when he stepped down as president of the club, among a number of royal patronages.

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