WINNING Wimbledon is one of the greatest feats a tennis star can achieve – and what makes it extra special is seeing that golden pineapple on top.
Each year the All England Club hosts two weeks of fantastic competition, with the victor of the men’s event lifting the extravagant Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy.
YOU may have noticed that on top of the trophy is a miniature gold pineapple.
Standing 18 inches tall, the inscription on the cup reads ‘The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World’. The Champions receive a three-quarter size replica of the cup instead of the real thing, which is kept at SW19 throughout the year.
It was first presented in 1887 and now features a silver plinth around the bottom which includes inscriptions of past winners.
Nobody is one-hundred percent sure why the trophy features the pineapple.
A spokesperson for the Wimbledon Museum revealed their theory: “In the 17th century pineapples were impossible to grow in the UK and they had to be imported, so being presented with one at a feast was seen as a great compliment.
“You might have seen pineapples being used on gateposts of stately homes as you travel around the UK. It’s because of their rarity.”
