Wimbledon may be the world's most prestigious tennis tournament, but it's a laggard when it comes to revenue and deliberately so.

According to official financial records posted by Companies House, Wimbledon generated $289 million in 2017, 6.5% more than last year. By comparison, although 2017 results have not been released yet, a source with knowledge of the figures tells Forbes that the U.S. Open posted revenue of $335 million, a 9.8% gain from 2016.

The U.S. Open's advantage over Wimbledon is largely due to two revenue sources: sponsors and tickets.

Wimbledon has always had a sense of tradition. Wimbledon fa...