Explained: Why is Wimbledon grand slam referred as SW19?

Every summer billions of tennis enthusiasts eagerly await Wimbledon, the oldest and most famous tennis grand slam. Known for its lush green grass courts, strict all-white dress code, delicious strawberries blended with cream and appearances by the British royal family, Wimbledon is full of tradition and can be termed as the ‘Met Gala’ of the sporting world. But there's one thing that many fans are unaware of: What is SW19 and how is it associated with Wimbledon? Let’s understand the same.

The History Behind SW19

Wimbledon is a town in southwest London. In the United Kingdom (UK), cities and towns are divided into postal codes to deliver mail and letters with ease. These are similar to ZIP codes in the USA. Back in 1857, London introduced the first set of postal codes. The city was divided into different areas using letters. Since Wimbledon town is in the southwest part of London, it was given the letters ‘SW.'

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Later in 1917, during World War I, numbers were added to the letters to execute mail delivery more quickly and accurately. That’s when Wimbledon got its full code: ‘SW19.’ So SW stands for Southwest and 19 is the specific area within that region where the Wimbledon court stands.

The All England Club’s Full Address

The All England Lawn Tennis Club, where the tournament is held, has the full postal address of SW19 5AE. However, when people refer to Wimbledon, they simply say it as SW19 and this nickname has persisted over time.

Even though the full postal code is used for things like GPS and navigation, fans and media continue to refer to Wimbledon as SW19, almost as a second name for the tournament.

SW19 is more than just a postcode for tennis. It’s a symbol of royalty, excellence and rich tennis history. So next time when you hear someone say ‘SW19’, you’ll know they’re talking about Wimbledon.