The Open Era
Great Britain · born Bournemouth, 1945 · Wimbledon champion 1977 · 26 Wimbledons
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1977
Wimbledon singles title, the centenary championships
26
Wimbledons played, a record
3
Major singles titles, all on grass
6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Semi-final win over Chris Evert, 1977
4
Wightman Cup wins with Britain, 1968 to 1978
Born in Bournemouth in 1945, Virginia Wade grew up in South Africa, where her father was a clergyman, and returned to England at 15. She won the first US Open in 1968, beating Billie Jean King 6-4, 6-2, and the Australian Open in 1972. Her four major doubles titles, all with Margaret Court, included the 1973 French Open, which made her the only British woman to win a title at all four majors. She reached No. 2 in 1975, won 55 singles titles and stayed in the year-end top ten from 1967 to 1979. Her Wimbledon title came in 1977, at her 17th attempt. She retired from singles in 1985, commentated for the BBC, and in 1982 became the first woman elected to the Wimbledon Committee. She entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989.
| Major singles titles | 3: Wimbledon (1977); Australian (1972); US (1968) |
|---|---|
| Other grass singles titles | 4: Eastbourne (1975); Irish Championships (1970); Pennsylvania Championships (1972); Welsh Championships (1971) |
| Major doubles titles | 2 doubles (Australian 1, US 1) |
| Other grass doubles titles | 3: Irish Championships (1973); Northern Championships (1968); Pennsylvania Championships (1972) |
| Wimbledon singles | Champion 1977; semi-finals 1974, 1976 and 1978; 26 Wimbledons, 24 of them in singles |
| Wimbledon doubles | Final 1970; semi-finals 1966, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1978 and 1979 |
| Finals to remember | 1968 US Open: beat Billie Jean King 6-4, 6-2. 1972 Australian: beat Evonne Goolagong 6-4, 6-4. 1977 Wimbledon: beat Betty Stove 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 |
| Major doubles partner | Margaret Court, for both grass titles: Australian and US, 1973 |
| Wightman Cup | Member of the British team from 1965 to 1985; on the winning side in 1968, 1974, 1975 and 1978 |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Women's singles | |
| US Championships | ||
| 1968 | Women's singles US Open | |
| 1969 | Women's doubles US National Amateur Championships | with Margaret Court |
| 1973 | Women's doubles US Open | with Margaret Court |
| Irish Championships | ||
| 1970 | Women's singles†Irish Open | |
| 1973 | Women's doubles†Irish Open | with Margaret Court |
| Australian Championships | ||
| 1972 | Women's singles Australian Open | |
| 1973 | Women's doubles Australian Open | with Margaret Court |
| Eastern Grass Court Championships (South Orange) | ||
| 1970 | Women's doubles†| with Rosie Casals |
| Welsh Championships | ||
| 1971 | Women's singles†| |
| Eastbourne | ||
| 1975 | Women's singles†| |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"I felt I was the best player ever not to have won Wimbledon."
The person behind the player.
Wimbledon 1977 · Final day
On the morning of the final she muffled her telephone with a pillow and played Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony. Then she went alone to the empty Centre Court to take in the atmosphere. That afternoon she lost the first set to Betty Stove, noticed she was not even sweating, and raised her pace.
Source: Sports IllustratedWimbledon 1977
A vicar's daughter with a reputation for nerves in big matches, she had lost at Wimbledon to players such as Christina Sandberg and Pat Walkden. Before the final she spoke of a new game, with more accurate serving and a steadier forehand, to go with a new haircut: a brand new Ginny.
Source: Sports IllustratedWimbledon 1977
She stopped signing autographs for children during the fortnight so as not to be distracted, and said afterwards she had played this Wimbledon differently from all the others. In the final she talked herself through it: "C'mon girl, I was saying, watch the ball, on your toes, come on."
Source: Tennis MajorsWimbledon 1977 · Presentation
Told the Queen would attend the final, she decided: "I better be there. And if I am there, I better win." At the presentation the noise was so great that she could only read the Queen's lips, which she believed said "Well done". The crowd then sang For She's a Jolly Good Fellow.
Source: Tennis365Tower Bridge 1973
She posed for the sculptor David Wynne for Girl with a Dolphin, a fountain more than five metres high installed near Tower Bridge in London in 1973. The same year she was appointed MBE for services to lawn tennis, and she won the Australian and US doubles titles with Margaret Court.
Source: WikipediaAll England Club 1982
Still playing, she began reporting for the BBC in 1981, and in 1982 she became the first woman elected to the Wimbledon Committee, the body that runs the Championships. She went on playing Wimbledon until she had appeared 26 times, a record.
Source: WikipediaFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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