Why Women’s singles' Wimbledon champion gets a plate instead of a trophy?

Wimbledon, the most prestigious Grand Slam and the Kohinoor of the tennis world, is heading towards its conclusion. All eyes are now on the women’s singles final, where Poland’s Iga Swiatek and America’s Amanda Anisimova will battle tooth and nail for ultimate glory on Centre Court on Saturday (Jul 12). Both players are chasing their first-ever Wimbledon title. Anisimova stunned everyone by knocking out the top seed, Aryna Sabalenka, in a nail-biting three-set match: 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Meanwhile, Swiatek dominated Belinda Bencic with a commanding 6-2, 6-0 win. It’s a perfect setup to be a high-octane summit clash. However, something is interesting to watch for after the match: the trophy presentation.

While the men’s champion at Wimbledon lifts a traditional golden cup, the women’s winner is handed a large silver plate, known as the Venus Rosewater Dish. But a question might pop out in your mind.

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Why are women's winners handed a plate instead of a trophy?

The answer goes back to the European Renaissance age and maybe a little bit of old-fashioned thinking of the European school of thought. The Venus Rosewater Dish was first presented to the women’s champion in 1886, even before women officially joined Wimbledon a year later. It was made in 1864 by Birmingham silversmiths Elkington and Co.

At the centre of the dish is a female figure symbolising Temperance, one of the classic virtues. She holds a lamp and a jug, and around her are symbols of the four elements, earth, air, fire, and water, as well as the seven liberal arts, like music, logic, and astronomy.

Sounds very interesting and deep. However, the real reason behind choosing a dish is old-fashioned ideas from the Victorian Era.

Back in the 19th century, women were often seen as keepers of the home. Hence, giving them a dish might have reflected the outdated view of Victorian times, where women were associated with domestic work, which might have resulted in presenting them with a dish. Interestingly, the irony is that while the world has moved from the Renaissance Age to the Network Age, one thing has remained unchanged: women’s champions at Wimbledon are still presented with the rosewater dish, not a trophy.

Today, both trophies are iconic in their way, but the difference between them still sparks conversation every year.