Wimbledon is the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, first played in 1877 and still the only Grand Slam contested on natural grass. Winning at the All England Club, with its strict all-white dress code, its strawberries and cream, and its Royal Box, is considered by many players the crowning achievement of a career. The list of champions reads like a history of tennis itself.
A handful of legends have turned Wimbledon into their personal stage. Roger Federer holds the men’s record with eight titles, while Martina Navratilova owns the women’s record with nine, including six in a row. In the modern era, Novak Djokovic chased down those records while a new generation, led by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, has taken over the grass.
The chart below lists every men’s and women’s singles champion since 2000, the all-time title leaders, and the records that define the tournament. Take a look, then we’ll get into the history.
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The all-time grass-court kings and queens
No tournament is more associated with greatness than Wimbledon, and its record books are ruled by a few transcendent names. On the men’s side, Roger Federer stands alone with eight titles, won between 2003 and 2017, including a remarkable five in a row from 2003 to 2007. His grass-court game, all timing and grace, seemed purpose-built for the All England Club, and his eighth title at age 35 made him the oldest men’s champion of the Open Era. Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic follow with seven each.
On the women’s side, Martina Navratilova’s nine titles between 1978 and 1990 represent perhaps the most dominant run in the sport’s history, anchored by six consecutive championships from 1982 to 1987. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams share second place with seven apiece. These are the players who turned Wimbledon fortnight into a coronation, returning year after year to defend the most coveted trophy in tennis.
A new generation takes the grass
For nearly two decades, Wimbledon belonged to the “Big Three” of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, but that era has now formally ended. The changing of the guard came swiftly: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain announced himself by beating Djokovic in back-to-back finals in 2023 and 2024, ending the Serbian’s grip on the title. Then in 2025, Italy’s Jannik Sinner beat Alcaraz in a four-set final to claim his first Wimbledon and become the first Italian man ever to win it.
The 2025 women’s final was even more historic. Iga Swiatek of Poland, already a dominant force on clay, completed her grass-court breakthrough by demolishing Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0, only the second “double bagel” in a Grand Slam final in the Open Era. Swiatek became the first Polish player ever to win Wimbledon, adding the grass crown to her collection and proving her game travels across every surface.
What makes Wimbledon different
Wimbledon is unlike any other tennis tournament, and not just because it is the oldest, dating to 1877. It is the only Grand Slam still played on natural grass, the fastest and most unpredictable surface in the sport, which rewards big serves, quick reflexes, and aggressive net play. The grass changes character over the fortnight, wearing down to dirt near the baselines by the second week, which adds a tactical wrinkle no other major has.
Then there are the traditions: the strict all-white dress code that every player must follow, the absence of courtside advertising, the strawberries and cream, the Royal Box, and the reverent hush of Centre Court. Wimbledon leans into its history in a way that can feel old-fashioned, but that is precisely the point. Winning there connects a champion to more than a century of the sport’s greatest names.
Final Word
The Wimbledon champions list is a roll call of tennis royalty, from Navratilova and Federer at the top of the all-time charts to the new generation of Alcaraz, Sinner, and Swiatek now writing the next chapter on the grass. The records, eight titles for Federer, nine for Navratilova, are monuments that may stand for decades. But every July, a new fortnight begins, and a new name gets the chance to join the immortals at the All England Club.
As the 2026 Championships approach, beginning June 29, Sinner and Swiatek return as defending champions on the only Grand Slam stage still played on grass. Whoever lifts the trophies will join one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports. For more on tennis and other summer sports, see our list of College World Series winners by year.