Wimbledon preview in photos
The 138th Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, where 256 men and women — drawn into their brackets earlier this morning — will compete for equal $4.1 million grand prizes.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club from above. ()
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which has hosted Wimbledon since the inaugural event in 1877, features 18 match courts and an additional 20 practice courts. But the tournament also relies on 34 qualifying courts and 16 extra practice courts at two nearby venues.
A classic Wimbledon bouquet. (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
It's no easy feat to grow and maintain the grass at all 88 of those courts — nor to embed and bloom the 28,000 plants that make this tournament as beautiful as it is iconic. It takes a team of 20 to ensure that "Day 14 [looks] as good as day one," the head gardener told The Athletic ($).
Alcaraz during a practice session this week. ()
On the men's side, the question will be if anyone can stop two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who's won 18 straight matches.
Eyes on the prize for Aryna. (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
And on the women's side, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will try to tame the only major she's never reached the finals in. She's finished as the runner-up in each of this year's first two majors.
Here's everything else you need to know about this year's tournament.
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