The sport of tennis has skyrocketed in popularity over the years, with the best players often seen as the main attraction and thus being scheduled to play on the biggest stages.

In its nascent stages, most tennis players were wealthy socialites seeking amusement and exercise. However, as the game began to evolve, an audience soon grew for the sport, with the first Wimbledon final in 1877 watched by 200 paying spectators.

Three years after the maiden Wimbledon final, F.H. Ayres & Company provided two temporary grandstands for the Centre Court, and by the mid-1880s permanent stands had been erected on three sides of the court, along with a sectioned-off area for the press.

The name Centre Court was a logical one, for at Wimbledon’s first home in Worple Road the main court was indeed surrounded on all sides by the other “outside” courts. There are now “Centre Courts” at tournament venues throughout the world, though few are actually centrally positioned.

Following the international success, tennis was incorporated into the first Olympic games of the modern era in 1896, with Ireland’s John Boland earning the distinction of becoming the first Olympic tennis champion. Four years later in Paris, Great Britain’s Charlotte Cooper won the inaugural women’s tennis event to become the first female gold medalist in the history of the Olympic movement.

Subsequently, showcase courts featuring the best and most talented players were erected at the other Grand Slams. The Centre court at Roland Garros was renamed after Phillipe Chatrier in 2000, a Davis Cup player and French junior champion. The US Open re-dedicated their largest center to Billie Jean King in 2006, while the Australian Open renamed their main court after Aussie legend Rod Laver.