Ahead of the most recent round of Pimm’s and strawberries and cream, we pick out some of the most memorable Wimbledon moments from down the years
Wimbledon is back for another year of thrills, spills and exhilarating tennis.
As one of the most prestigious events in the British sporting calendar, Wimbledon has played host to countless iconic moments on and off court.
Ahead of the latest fortnight of action from SW19, we’ve narrowed them down to 10 of the best from down the years…
Virginia Wade, 1977
The Queen was not known for her love of tennis but in her Silver Jubilee year, she made a rare visit to Centre Court and watched as Virginia Wade made history.
The 32-year-old was a two-time major winner but Wimbledon was a nut she just couldn’t crack, with four quarter-final and two semi-final exits along the way – sound familiar?
Yet it all came together in 1977, a summer of street parties, bunting and patriotism. She beat Bette Stover to become champion and remains the last British winner of the Venus Rosewater Dish.
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John McEnroe, 1981
If you asked people to deliver the most famous quote in tennis, it would likely be John McEnroe’s words they use.
The words conjure up an image too: a mess of curls, sweat band around his head, short shorts, wooden racket, and visible, seething anger. McEnroe was serving to Tom Gullikson in a first-round encounter in 1981 when his serve was called out.
“You can’t be serious man. You cannot be serious. That ball was on the line, chalk flew up, it was clearly in. How can you possible call it out?”
And so on and so on, with McEnroe barely composing himself before double faulting. The American eventually won the match and the men’s singles title for the first time.
Pat Cash, 1987
It’s got a name and a handy gate now but when Pat Cash clambered up to the player’s box on Centre Court, he was the first to complete the ‘Champions Climb’
The Australian had reached new heights with a first Grand Slam victory but decided he wanted to go even higher after defeating Ivan Lendl 7-6 6-2 7-5 in the men’s singles final.
After jumping into the stands, Cash worked his way to the commentary box, giving it a tap to check its sturdiness before clambering up onto its roof and then into the arms of his father.
Since then, many a champion have recreated the move, but he will always be the first to do it.
Martina Navratilova, 1990
One of the best to ever do it, Martina Navratilova broke more records than you can keep track of. But the one that really mattered to her was a ninth Wimbledon title as she took the outright record for women’s singles wins.
Across the late 1970s and 1980s, Navratilova was almost untouchable on the grass courts of SW19, winning eight titles between 1978 and 1987.
And then along came Steffi Graf, who beat Navratilove in the final in 1988 and 1989 to put the Czech-born players tilt at the record in serious jeopardy. When Zina Garrison knocked out Graf in the last four in 1990, it set Navratilova on the path to immortality.
Jana Novotna, 1993
The Royals’ image has softened in recent years but in 1993, the most interaction you would expect is a handshake and a polite comment. But when someone was as upset as Jana Novotna, rules had to go out of the window.
The Czech player was on a stunning run as she reached the Wimbledon final, having beaten Gabriela Sabatini and Martina Navratilova, before leading Steffi Graf 4-1 in the final set of the showpiece.
A double fault was the beginning of the end for Novotna, who lost the match and then cried on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent. The Duchess consoled Novotna, who had happier times on Centre Court as she won the title in 1998.
Jeff Tarango, 1995
A forgotten player, Jeff Tarango is unfairly missed off many lists of iconic Wimbledon moments. And it was during his 1995 third-round match that he made history, becoming the first player to default himself at Wimbledon.
Trailing to Alexander Mronz in the second set, Tarrango was given a code violation for audible obscenity by umpire Bruno Rebeuh after telling hecklers in the crowd to ‘shut up’.
From there, Tarango lost his head, accusing Rebeuh of corruption and receiving a second code violation before storming off the court and forfeiting the match, a Wimbledon first that is yet to be repeated.
In a bizarre twist, Tarango’s wife Benedicte decided to take matters into her own hands and slapped the official twice across the face. She later defended her actions, claiming: “I don’t think it’s bad. I think it’s good, because this guy deserves a lesson at some point.”
Cliff Richard, 1996
Rain stopping play is not a remarkable occurrence at Wimbledon but being serenaded by Cliff Richard and ‘the Racquettes’ is. When the men’s quarter-finals were halted in 1996, the microphone was handed to Sir Cliff by Wimbledon officials and the popstar duly entertained.
Beginning slightly ironically with Summer Holiday, Richard went through a string of hits with the likes of Pam Shriver, Virginia Wade and Martina Navratilova on backing vocals.
After 20 minutes of songs including Living Doll and Congratulations the rain cleared and the real entertainment could begin. Richard returned in 2022 to sing again, but let’s just say the feedback was less positive this time.
Steffi Graf, 1996
There must have been something about the audiences at Wimbledon in 1996 with another iconic moment coming from that year. This time it is with Steffi Graf, the seven-time women’s singles winner as she claimed her final title.
Graf was facing Kimiko Date in the semi-finals, and was just preparing to serve when a voice from the crowd shouted ‘Steffi, will you marry me?” The German allowed herself a laugh before she responded to the proposal with a question of her own.
‘How much money do you have?’ was her reply, and it must not have been enough with Graf going on to marry fellow tennis player Andre Agassi.
Venus Williams, 2000
The turn of the millennium was a time of predictions of what a new era would look like, but no one could have imagined what was about to happen to women’s tennis.
Venus Williams reached her first Grand Slam singles final in 1997 with sister Serena winning her first Grand Slam two years later. But it was in 2000 when the signs of what to come first became clear.
Venus was taking on fellow American Lindsey Davenport in her first Wimbledon final, clinching the trophy in a second set tie break. The celebrations were jubilant, and Williams ran first to her father and sister as their dynasty began to take shape.
The sister act won the women’s doubles title that year too, as Venus won 10 more Wimbledon titles, with Serena claiming 14 in total, as the pair became as synonymous with the Championships as strawberries and cream.
Andy Murray, 2013
Seventy-seven years we waited – and boy was it worth it. Andy Murray ended decades of British hurt in the men’s singles in what is still arguably the most iconic achievement by any British athlete this century.
Murray took us on one hell of a journey. Like Tim Henman before him, he became a specialist in glorious failure – falling in three successive semi-finals between 2009-2011.
He finally reached the final in 2012 but was taught a harsh lesson in a Roger Federer masterclass. But in 2013, with an Olympic gold medal and US Open title under his belt, it was different.
Federer and Rafael Nadal were out early, leaving Murray to sling it out with Novak Djokovic in the final. The great Scot then delivered the performance of his life to win in straight sets.
In emotional scenes, he celebrated by hugging his mum. There was a VIP crowd to see his victory too, with Hollywood star Bradley Cooper, footballer Wayne Rooney and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham all there.
