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Setting the scene
Wimbledon had crowned men's champions since 1877, but Victorian society debated whether competitive lawn tennis suited women or should remain a genteel garden pastime.
What happened
The first Wimbledon women's singles championship was held in 1884; Maud Watson defeated her sister Lilian in the final, and the ladies' event became a permanent fixture.
Why it still matters
Women's singles at Wimbledon helped legitimize female athletes in professional tennis long before the Open Era. Memorable detail: competitors wore long dresses and corsets, and the final drew a modest crowd by modern standards.
Background
Women's tennis grew from social pastime to professional sport.