As the only tennis major that uses tennis grass seeds as well as being the oldest major tennis competition of any kind, Wimbledon holds a special place in many people’s hearts and is at the centre of the tennis world in terms of prestige.
Throughout its 145 year history, many careers have been made, legacies forged, records broken as well as a few racquets when John McEnroe was on the court, and entire volumes of history written.
Here are some of the most fascinating, shocking and interesting parts of that history.
The Unlikely Seven-Win Streak Of Marcus Willis
Leading up to Wimbledon 2017, Marcus Willis was a nobody that had been written off nearly a decade previously as a slacker by the LTA, and at the time had a professional ranking of 722.
He had planned up until that point to retire but motivated by his then-girlfriend to give professional tennis one more attempt, he managed by chance to sneak into the Wimbledon Qualifying draw, before going on an unbelievable run, winning six matches in a row to qualify for the tournament proper.
He even beat Ricardas Berankis, ranked 54 in the world to set up a second-round confrontation with perhaps the greatest grass player of all time: Roger Federer.
Naturally, the seven-time champion did break the seven-win streak of Mr Willis, but even losing in straight sets, Mr Willis won the crowd over with a variety of exceptionally creative shots, even winning “Shot of the Tournament” for a lob over Mr Federer’s head.
Avoiding A Literal Shock
When the LTA renovated Wimbledon in 1985, they were hoping that year’s tournament would produce some shocking and memorable moments, but what they perhaps did not expect was for this to become literal.
However, when lightning struck the press centre, it produced an exceptional shock and could have ended in tragedy when six large chunks of masonry fell into the stand below, thankfully missing the crowds below.
The Outburst Of All Outbursts
In 1981, the ever-outspoken American John McEnroe, having dealt with multiple calls going against him in his match against Tom Golickson, yelled the four words that have stuck with him ever since.
He would be fined for his outburst but that amount would ultimately be pocket change compared to his winnings when he took home the crown.
