If the Wimbledon men's singles trophy looks short on quirks from a distance, closer inspection reveals a peculiar detail.
The top of the 18-inch silver gilt prize, lifted by superstars from Bjorn Borg to Novak Djokovic, is topped with a shiny pineapple.
The champions receive a three-quarter size replica of the trophy bearing the names of all the previous winners, complete with the fruit on top.
What do we know about the origins of this feature? How has it changed over the centuries? It's time to make the tropical topical.
Why is there a pineapple on the Wimbledon trophy?
It is not entirely clear why the pineapple features on the trophy, although most accounts agree that the most plausible explanation relates to the rarity of the fruit during the late 19th century.
Christopher Columbus returned from an expedition to the New World with a pineapple in 1492, but they did not become more common in western Europe until their commercial production started in Hawaii during the early 20th century.
When Wimbledon began in 1877, the pineapple was seen as a food only enjoyed by high society — a sign of prestige worthy of the rarefied All England Club and the winner's trophy.
The #Wimbledon men’s tennis trophy was purchased for 100 guineas & first presented in 1887.
— Craig O'Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) June 18, 2022
It has a pineapple on top. Why? Pineapples were impossible to grow in the UK & had to be imported. Being presented with one at a feast was a great compliment.
🍍 status symbol. 🏆🎾 pic.twitter.com/Unyn5eUFWh
What is the history of the men's singles trophy?
The prize that will be lifted by the men's singles champion on Centre Court this year is the third iteration of the trophy.
The first was known as The Field Cup because of the name of the newspaper it was donated by. William Renshaw was allowed to keep it after the Brit won three successive finals between 1881 and 1883.
Renshaw, whose seven titles put him one behind Wimbledon record-holder Roger Federer, also got to keep the second trophy, the Challenge Cup, as a result of his glorious run continuing until 1886.
That trophy had cost organisers 50 guineas — a little over £1 at the time, which, according to Wimbledon, was a "not insignificant" sum of money.
The third version cost twice as much, around £13,000/$16,000 in modern currency. Perhaps that explains why Wimbledon then stipulated that the trophy "would never become the property of the winner".
Since 1949, the champions have received a replica of the trophy, inscribed: 'The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World'.
The original Field Cup is now owned by and on display at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, the largest tennis museum in the world, which is based on the site of tournament. The whereabouts of the second trophy are unknown.
Who has won the most Wimbledon men's singles titles?
Right-hander Renshaw won his final title in 1889, and Laurence Doherty — a double Olympic champion who became the first non-American to win the US Open in 1903, when he also won Wimbledon — was champion on five occasions.
Swede Borg matched Doherty by winning the title every year between 1976 and 1980, and Pete Sampras equalled Renshaw's total by claiming seven championships, winning in all but one year between 1993 and 2000.
Djokovic needs one more win to draw level with Renshaw and Sampras. The Serbian great won the first of his six titles in 2011 and has won the most recent three Championships.
The man Djokovic beat in the 2014, 2015 and 2019 finals, though, remains the player with the most Wimbledon men's singles titles.
Federer was 21 when he beat Mark Philippoussis in the 2003 final, beginning a run of five consecutive wins including victories in the final over Andy Roddick (2004 and 2005) and Rafael Nadal (2006 and 2007).
The last of those victories took five sets, and Nadal took revenge the following year, winning the final set 9-7 to bring Federer's half-decade reign to an end.
Unsurprisingly, Federer returned to win again in 2009, edging an epic against Roddick with a 16-14 victory in the final set.
MORE: Is Roger Federer playing at Wimbledon 2022? Schedule, next match for eight-time champion
Nadal and Djokovic won in 2010 and 2011 before Federer prolonged Britain's wait for a first British men's singles champion since 1936 by a year by beating Andy Murray in four sets in 2012.
The last of masterful Federer's eight wins was a comprehensive beating of Marin Cilic in the 2017 final, and it would be some comeback if the 40-year-old adds to his record, having not played since undergoing knee surgery after reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2021.
Federer will not play at Wimbledon 2022 but the legacy of the dominant 21st-century men's player at the tournament is assured. Sampras, Djokovic and Boris Becker are each five short of his record 12 final appearances, including seven in succession between 2003 and 2009.
Most men's Wimbledon titles: Open Era top 10
| Player | Country | Wins |
| Roger Federer | Switzerland | 8 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017) |
| Pete Sampras | USA | 7 (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) |
| Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 6 (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021) |
| Bjorn Borg | Sweden | 5 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980) |
| John McEnroe | USA | 3 (1981, 1983, 1984) |
| Boris Becker | USA | 3 (1985, 1986, 1989) |
| John Newcombe | Australia | 2 (1970, 1971) |
| Rafael Nadal | Spain | 2 (2008, 2010) |
| Jimmy Connors | USA | 2 (1974, 1982) |
| Stefan Edberg | Sweden | 2 (1988, 1990) |
| Andy Murray | Great Britain | 2 (2013, 2016) |
| Rod Laver | Australia | 2 (1968, 1969) |
Most men's Wimbledon titles: All-time top 10
| Player | Country | Wins |
| Roger Federer | Switzerland | 8 |
| William Renshaw | Great Britain | 7 (1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889) |
| Pete Sampras | USA | 7 |
| Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 6 |
| Laurence Doherty | Great Britain | 5 (1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906) |
| Bjorn Borg | Sweden | 5 |
| Reginald Doherty | Great Britain | 4 (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900) |
| Anthony Wilding | New Zealand | 4 (1910, 1911, 1912, 1913) |
| Rod Laver | Australia | 4 (1961, 1962, 1968, 1969) |
| Wilfred Baddeley | Great Britain | 3 (1891, 1892, 1895) |
| Arthur Gore | Great Britain | 3 (1901, 1908, 1909) |
| Boris Becker | USA | 3 |
| Bill Tilden | USA | 3 (1920, 1921, 1930) |
| Fred Perry | Great Britain | 3 (1934, 1935, 1936) |
| John Newcombe | Australia | 3 (1967, 1970, 1971) |
| John McEnroe | USA | 3 |
