The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Ltd (“AELTC”), is a wholly owned subsidiary of The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Limited (“the Club”).The AELTC manages the undertaking and staging of The Championships, Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass.
The Grounds are owned by the All England Lawn Tennis Ground plc and consist of 19 grass courts (including Centre Court and No.1 Court), eight American Clay courts and five indoor courts, two Greenset Velvelux and three Greenset Trophy. In Aorangi Park, there are 22 grass courts for practice before and during The Championships and two green acrylic courts. The total area, including the Club’s car parks, covers over 42 acres. Apart from the grass courts, the courts are used all year round by the Club members and LTA-sponsored players.
The activities of the Club, as a private members’ club, are conducted separately from The Championships. The Club has 375 full members, about 100 temporary playing members, and a number of honorary members, including past Wimbledon singles champions and people who have rendered distinguished service to the game.
The Club was founded in 1868 at the height of a croquet craze as the All England Croquet Club, and held its first croquet competition in 1870. Its original ground was situated on Worple Road, Wimbledon, and the first Lawn Tennis Championships were conducted in 1877.
Funds generated by The Championships, less tax, are used by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to develop tennis in Great Britain.