125 Years of Wimbledon: You Cannot Be Serious

Wimbledon is the tournament I have played the most and the one I want

to win the most. Champions will be walking on water next. It is the

one everybody knows. People who do not know tennis No Wimbledon. It is

the biggest tenants tournament in the world. Just to be here, to walk

around the club is fantastic. very pleased to think I have at

last fulfilled the trust placed in me by the Lawn Tennis Association

and carry off the title at Wimbledon. My life had been turned

round by a couple of things, my music and my Christian faith but

Wimbledon, becoming a member was Since 1877, a leafy green Barot of

London has been the home of the world's greatest tennis tournament.

For two weeks in high summer, it is the centre of the sporting world.

Wimbledon reaches 125 this year and they have never needed an excuse to

have a party. Throughout its life, Wimbledon has been a place of

triumph and disaster, of Hope and heartache, of victors and the

vanquished but ultimately, it is a place of titles and champions.

is magical for me. That was the sight of my first win. Great

memories for us. It is such a special place.

Spanning three centuries, Wimbledon has thrown up countless stories.

Here are just a few. There is nothing like it when you look at it.

Whether you are there in person, the smell of it all when you are

watching on TV. The best moment in the world. I think if you speak to

the majority of the players, they would save there was one tournament

you could win, which would it be, it would be Wimbledon. It ranks

with the great events, the Tour de France for cyclists, the Masters

What child had ever picked up a tennis racket in anger had ever

dreamed of being Wimbledon champion? Game, set and match,

Sampras. Start them young, isn't that what

they say? One American dad did just that and as his girls grow up, so

the Championships new millennium became a family affair. Sisters.

remember interviewing the nurse at Wimbledon. She had a little junior

sister with her. -- Venus. Up I asked if she played tennis. She

said she will be better than me one day. I said, sure! Needless to say,

she did. The Williams sisters is one of the most amazing stories in

tennis. They had no tennis heritage, if you like but through passion and

determination, a great example set by their father, they dominated the

game. They have certainly dominated here at Wimbledon over the last

decade. It is a long way from Compton, a

tough suburb in Los Angeles to Centre Court. But Mr Williams new

hard work would fuel the journey. Even at school we were not allowed

to bring home anything less than a B. There were high expectations

always. For two sisters to come up and be world number one and no. Two

is an incredible story. To create a champion takes so much work and a

lot of dedication. To do what my dad did not once, but with two, is

unbelievable. It is a lot of work and it is a lot of talent. It takes

a lot of love. Let's applaud what these two sisters have done. No one

can touch them. When they come on the grass courts at Wimbledon, they

are in a different league to other people. We have brought some of our

best tennis to Wimbledon and why not? This is the place to do it. It

is an amazing venue with the history and to be a part of it is

truly awesome. It has a special place in our heart. When we were

younger, but all I did was think about Wimbledon.

I first started going there was when I was a kid. The first time I

saw Centre Court was when I worked on it. This is where it all started

for me. All the way from the juniors and even further back,

Becker and Edberg. I was sitting in my living room watching them play.

I remember walking through the gates, the incredible iron gates.

As a kid they seemed enormous and the pillars which were there. I

thought, this is the home of tennis. I remember watching it from 6, 7

years old, seeing Billie-Jean King and Rod Laver.

All great sporting events are defined by eras and from the mid-

50s to the early 70s, Wimbledon's accent had a decidedly Australian

twang. The Aussies to cost three film from black and white to colour.

They were stars, all, but the brightest star of South West 19's

Southern Cross was Rod Laver. Rocket. Even before Labour won the

title, the champion's potential was evident -- even before Rod Laver

won the title. His power and movement around the court

transformed the game people knew. It was almost difficult to see the

ball and this commentary position. As John F Kennedy hit the White

House, so what hit the jackpot at Wimbledon. A year later, his second

title came as part of a Grand Slam. I love everything about Wimbledon,

the atmosphere, the crowd, they are so knowledgeable and tradition

always brought the best players. I played my best tennis there. The

whole thing, that was my impression of England, it was tennis at its

best. What came next was a shock. The rocket turned professional. In

a period where only amateurs played the majors, Rod Laver was lost to

Wimbledon for five years. Two championship points. It is Rod

Laver! He has won it! Rod Laver won Wimbledon's first Open Championship

and repeated the dose 12 months on as he completed yet another Grand

Grand Slam as an amateur, Grand Slam as a professional, a unique

place in the game. Will we ever see his like again? As sure as champion

follows champion, so it era follows an era. Rod Laver breathed new life

into the fledgling years of open tennis but what was to come was a

seismic shift. Ken Rosewall's defeat by Jimmy Connors signified

the end of Australia's lead. Tennis moved from the realm of sport to

the realm of showbiz. We were beginning to find a niche in

television and that made us famous. They were not just tennis players,

they were superstars in sport. golden age. Our games were matched

in some ways. Mind and Bjorn Borg's games were matched. He never said a

word, I said everything. When I played McEnroe, who was going to

UMPIRE: Play elect, please. The court came before -- the call came

before the balls played. He never called it, he never said anything.

Playing against McEnroe was not a tennis match, it was more. I think

they are responsible for why tennis is as popular today as it is. They

are responsible for the prize money and the sponsorship. They brought

in people who did not care about tennis, to be a part of it and to

wonder, if he is going out and if he is at Annabel's, how is he going

to play the next day? We are going to jump on bat. Aug is the guy I

remember seeing the crazy Beetle mania, the tennis version of it

thinking I have got to get there. You always anticipate Bjorn Borg.

You cannot fool him like I did with other players. He never reacted.

That upset me more. Also, when you come to the dressing room, he was

the same person. You never saw him through the issues or whatever. If

he was losing, he was the same as when he was winning. I called him

the Martian, like he was from another planet. There was no

pressure on me the first year. Bjorn Borg was 2-1, John McEnroe

was 300 to one. I thought, I cannot believe I am in the same list as

these guys. Jimmy was someone, it was hard to get behind him. He was

an incredible player but he put it in your face. McEnroe and I butted

heads from the beginning. Just before we walked on court, he gave

me a look to say, you better not be He did not call. A UMPIRE: Play a

let, please. Can I have the referee, please?

To have had a rivalry with one is something. I had one with two.

finest was the legendary Bjorn Borg McEnroe match. I did not commentate

on it but I was there and saw it. I will never get over that. It was

wonderful. Bjorn Borg was already a hero of mine. I had been playing

tennis for a couple of years. I did not like McEnroe so I wanted Bjorn

Borg to win. I felt like I was going to win it. I felt like it was

my time. I had been through a lot. Some of it was my fault. And

suddenly, it all started turning in this horrendous direction. He was

getting to me mentally. Then it became magical for a while.

There was a feeling in the crowd. Something unusual is happening, you

could really sense that. It was the first time I had experienced on a

After that 4th set, walking to the chair to change side, I think I had

never felt so bad in my entire life. That was probably the worst moment

I had had since I was born. Losing seven match points, playing in the

5th Wimbledon, playing against John McEnroe, having seven match points

and not winning one of them. I thought, I will use this match. I

have no chance. I remember sitting on the changeover thinking, now I

have got it. And slowly, my thoughts started to focus more on

That relief after I did not believe it. The emotions after winning the

match and then suddenly losing the match and then I am here again

winning the match. I thought, how does this guy have this will? Where

did he find this extra bit of motivation and desire? As much as I

thought I had wanted it, I had to want it more to win it. 12 months

on, McEnroe's hunger was satisfied. Perhaps he did not want it as much

as he wanted it before. I knew I wanted it more.

As for Bjorn Borg, he would never play at the Championships again.

While it may take a lifetime of sacrifice, dedication and hard work

to try and win at the All-England Club, the moment of victory is

fleeting. What do you do? You may throw your racket in the air. You

may decide to jump the net and console your opponent. You might

sink to your knees. You might even seek out a precedent and seek out

your family. However, Russia's first Wimbledon singles champion

My mum was flying up to New York and that is where we were going to

meet after the final. They have televisions on the plane. I tried

to call her. I wanted to share the good news. Could you get a signal

on the mobile phone? I was trying to call her and it keeps turning

off. Technology, come on. Her phone was off because she was flying. She

was watching the call her from Centre Court. Knowing that my name

is on that plate and I am part of Wimbledon's history makes me very

The 1970s were a time of major industrial upheaval in Britain.

Even the manicured lawns of SW19 were not immune to the effect of

poor labour relations. 1,200 Miles away in the town of Split on the

Dalmatian coast. His behaviour, refusing to play for you --

Yugoslavia in the Davis Cup has divided the loyalty of his team-

mate. If anybody can prove he did break his word, promised to play

and went back on his word. sincerely hope they don't boycott

Wimbledon or do anything to harm it. The power struggle between the

players' association and the sport's governing body saw most of

the top male stars miss the tournament in 73. The Wimbledon

authorities cannot make us play. No tournament, no tennis event can

make anybody play. There have been attempts which we felt were

slightly dirty, of having national associations put pressure on

individual members. It was a hard person to go against him. He said

you cannot boycott a tournament like Wimbledon. I am sorry I cannot

stay with the player. Simply, I'm sorry I cannot play Wimbledon.

feels he is taking the rap for the apparently inevitable break down of

the tennis world outdated regulations. It needn't have

happened and it is a bad thing it has. I think, myself and the public,

are behind us. Devine Wimbledon can manage without him? The public are

here, aren't they? The crowds were just as big. The cheers were just

as loud. Everybody was just as nervous. It is almost as if

Wimbledon is Wimbledon, it doesn't matter who is there and who is

playing. Bjorn Borg was coming through, Roger Taylor, there were

so many stories surrounding the men's game that it didn't detract

from the Championships in any way, Queen Victoria had been on the

throne for more than 40 years when in the tournament infancy one man

stood above all others. He was William Renshaw and he won seven

times. More than a century later someone at last equalled that feet

as a man from the West assembled his very own this magnificent seven.

He is the reason why I decided to stop. On my best day at his best

day he would always be the better. I never like to say anybody is

better than Rod Laver and Roger Federer was the most beautiful

player I ever watched play at Wimbledon. I came on tour and he

was the superstar he was. He would be in the locker room but I

wouldn't speak to hit him because I had so much respect for him. Bash

speak to him. Pistol. When Pete goes out there he does his thing.

It is making you uncomfortable and not allowing you to get into any

He will be walking on water next. In those types of moments they

proved time and time again he had that little something extra. Some

terrible matches. If I could play him first week I would beat him for

sure. Game, set, and match, Sampras. The greatest grass-court player in

the history of tennis. Game, set and match, Sampras. It was kind of

a storybook ending a I have always Perennial champions make women look

easy. But it isn't. You have to fight. -- make winning look easy.

You have defied the demons within. Fight your opponent. Occasional

champions have one more fight to fight. The realisation that they

It is good. I lost to John Novotna New balls please. The third double

fault today. He could not have come at a worse moment. Two breaks

behind in this final set. From an impregnable position Novotna

snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Advantage, Miss Graf.

should have won. I was disappointed the person that be needed a win. --

That is it. 2-1. She was so bitterly disappointed I felt sorry

for hire. Novotna in her first Wimbledon final, certainly not

disgraced. Overcome with the emotion of it all. When the duchess

was handing the the trophy she was kind enough to tell me I didn't

need to worry, I would win Wimbledon in the next few years,

She was an emotional person. She probably felt that was the time for

her to step up. It is one of her best surfaces to play on. That

would have been a dream come true. I can completely understand how

I think this has helped me a lot. It has made me more popular and it

definitely it was a very good publicity. I remember the next

morning buying the newspapers and I was on the front page and Steffi

Graf was on the back. I think people were just happy to see some

emotions. They were happy to see that as tennis players are not as

cold as ice. -- that we tennis She has done it. Sometimes you have

to experience the lows to enjoy the highs. Five years on, she did just

that. Her meeting with the Duchess in 1998 was an altogether different

experience. This is bound to be a very emotional moment. Last year

the Dutch are said to her, don't worry, it might be third time lucky

All my life I worked a lot to be there at Wimbledon all my life was

All the tennis players will tell you, even if they don't like

playing on grass much, they think Wimbledon is number one. In 2000

and tent the tournament started as it normally did on the Monday, but

this was no ordinary Monday. It was 21st June, the longest day. Tuesday,

it would her now, it was no ordinary Tuesday either at the end

of the longest day was followed by the beginning of the longest match.

After the first day it was a normal match. This kind of match happens

68 games all. During three days, tonight, I was just thinking about

The match was -- to make the match didn't belong, I was Vegas, I was

in his own. If your name is not on the list you are not coming in. The

hottest ticket in the capital. The World Press in attendance.

Everybody wanted to watch this Never Ending match. I had to keep

my serve to stay in the match. This was the toughest thing I did in my

Game, set, match, Isner. 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-7. 70, 68. I tried

everything. In one way we are both winners. At the end, he played his

second one. He whoever won that match cannot play. They were done

for the summer. It is like running three marathons when you are

supposed to run a couple of Miles. A I was in my chair and I just

wanted to be back in the locker room. I just wanted to cry. That

was too difficult for me to stay on the court. There was the ceremony.

This was the worst moment over those few days. It would only be a

fitting if we asked Nicholas and John declared their mementoes

together. They are both winners today -- to collect. Amazing thing

DC as a spectator, but as a player you don't want to see that again.

When I look about it may be the best moment of my life, but at this

time for sure it was the worst. Unbelievably they have been drawn

together again this year. Sleeping bag, anyone? That is it. Game, set

and match Miss Graf. Steffi Graf won Wimbledon seven times, Andre

But as fate would have it Steffi Graf won the only year Andre Agassi

did, 1992. That was the first year if I am not mistaken they banned

the dance. They didn't have it that night. I work real hard to cancel

it. In 1999 in the twilight of their careers, they will both

crowned French Open champions and they met again. -- they were both.

There was a certain cent -- sense of destiny. What happened in Paris

was magical. Seven years between date, not your conventional

courtship. But then again they are not your conventional couple. Still,

all is well that ends well. It is fantastic. Two great champions,

they are a delight, great to see two great champions together and

really happy. She was a step in the right direction for me, I was

probably step and then run direction for her back then! -- a

step in the wrong direction. Just as women can become a habit, so can

losing. Amidst the successes there are the failures, a monks the bits

-- victories their other defeats. There are men who should have

perhaps won the title, but didn't. Ken Rosewall lost in four finals,

and it Roddick has lost in three, and even Lendl, two. One such

nearly man, a habitual runner-up, stood in the last-chance saloon a

decade ago before somebody finally I played Queen's Club. I lost a

terrible match. On that day they were deciding on wildcards and I

was hoping they did not watched that match. Something had to change.

Goran decided it was his racket. Even now, I tried to explain how I

started to play that kind of tennis but I cannot. Then, the magic

returned. I said something will happen but I could not say to

anybody because they would think I was crazy. Tim Henman had other

ideas. This was his year, wasn't it? I did not do anything wrong, he

just killed me. It was 2-1 to him. I won the first set, I think I only

lost four points which probably did not happen at any other time in my

career. His I was up to 2-1 on serve in the 4th. It is starting to

rain quite heavily now. The rain, I have to say the rain saved me. Six

on two sets to one, Tim started to play very well. Then they said, go

home. I knew that I had won the match. At that moment I knew I had

won the match. For me, the hardest part was I had really begun to

break down his serve and get on to his serve, read it a little bit.

When we came back after each rain delay, I really felt lucky. His

rhythm was back, he was hitting his spots. Here we go again, would you

believe it? All we need is a roof. Just give us a brief. -- just give

us a roof. We only played for 15 minutes and my Wimbledon dream for

2001 was over. The dream is over for another year. Goran Ivanisevic

is into the final! I knew I had lost the match. I knew I was

disappointed but it took some time to get over.

The three-day semi- was followed by a fairy-tale win over Pat Rafter.

As for the nearly man, he was not nearly any more. My life started

from that day. Goran, Wimbledon champion. Finally, I did not become

the good tennis player who never won a major.

Festival, I have to thank the All- England Club for giving me a

wildcard. Otherwise... I think there were a lot of people you felt

it was his destiny to win that year. At last, he clutches the Challenge

Cup. It is a big difference, when you see your name there. Sometimes

when I come to Wimbledon, I still Fred Perry was the last British man

to win the gentleman's singles title at Wimbledon. That was three-

quarters of a century ago and his legacy weighs heavily on those who

follow. I think Mr Austin did not play his best tennis today.

And will a Briton ever win the men's championships again? We live

in hope. You get asked a lot of questions about it, how long it has

been, will you do it this year? It In all sports, I think having home

advantage makes a big difference. Playing on Centre Court, you get

great support. Tim Henman would agree that when he played there, he

played some of his best tennis there. I think in all honesty, it

put some extra pressure on my opponents, to know they were

playing against me and they were playing 14,000 others. If I could

have played every match on one court, it would have been Centre

Court at Wimbledon. I cannot explain why the British

men have not. Possibly because we do not have that many players

pushing each other. Virginia has written but when I came along it

made her focus a little bit more because she thought she would not

have this young upstart taking over her role. Tim Henman was the most

successful player at Wimbledon since Fred Perry. Andy Murray has

now been in Grand Slam finals and he is taking over that mantle and

he could do it but up until those two, Roger Taylor in the boycott

year, we have not had anyone. I came along, there was even

greater interest and unbelievable support, support and every undreamt

of. During the Championships, I tried to blank out everything that

was going on around me so I never read the papers, I did not watch TV

match. The media is more intense. It is something you have to deal

with. It is not a valuable excuse as a sportsman that you wonder

pressure or the media is talking about your whatever. It was unlucky

for him. Maybe it will be the same thing now for Andy Murray.

played a terrible final, this Australian Open. It was a one-way

street. He does not enjoyed to play. He is blocked. He is capable to win

any Grand Slam. I really admire his tennis. I love the way he is on the

court. I know it is not easy to enjoy and to be relaxed in the

final. But you have to. He is still very young and he has been in two

semis already so I think he will go further but he is also in a very

tough era. Do you think you learnt anything from the experience?

we have learnt we have got to hit the ball as harder. And we have got

to run much faster! We have got to run at all! What is preventing you

for -- from running faster? For me it is all the lace on the back of

my white pants. Britain's women have fared slightly

better than the male compatriots. There was the all-British final of

1961 when Angela Mortimer beat Christine Truman. There was an

Jones's title six years later. However, the sovereign was on hand

to witness the last crowning of the Queen of Centre Court. Everyone

thought this was Chris's title. She had beaten all three of us

comfortably through the year. Or a sudden, Virginia played incredible

tennis and beat Christie. It is a brilliant win for Virginia Wade.

were all watching in the locker- room thinking this was so

unexpected! A couple of players including Billie Jean King said

well done, it is your title now, go get it. I was like, oh my God!

A lot of the press, I seem to remember, had almost written you

off in some ways? Because you were there. You are playing really well

that year. You wear at least ten Goodness, she has missed the

simplest of shops. It haunts me! It was the worst match I ever played

and of course, I did on the biggest stage imaginable and my biggest

chance to achieve my dream of winning Wimbledon. I think it hurt

me so much that I was never quite the same player again when I came

to Wimbledon. I doubted myself so much after that. Tremendous

disappointment I am afraid for all British supporters. I have to say,

I was relieved it was not you! There was something about her that

here, she really did believe. When she was nearing match point and

Betty Stove was very nervous, we were all getting very tense. Would

it happen all would not? So often in the past she had given us this

moment of expectation. Still championship.. She has done it!

Affair is story comes true! Winning Wimbledon was so special.

It was such a special year. Some matches resonate beyond mere

tennis. Althea Gibson's victory in the late 50s did as she became

Wimbledon's first African American champion. Nearly two decades on,

Arthur Ashe's final still lives on. One myth persists that athletes are

all brawn and no brains, even -- specifically black athletes. I like

to fight the myth. He was known as the big hitter, go for his shots,

win, lose or draw. The way he sat at the change of ends, the

meditation, no one had seen this before. No one really expected him

to be able to beat Jimmy. Everyone thought, it is one step too far for

Arthur. I think that was a great moment for the African-American

community because mistakenly and unfairly, they cannot think through

things, they were better athletes but we are smarter, whatever. That

just shut that totally down. made people realise that it is not

just a physical side to tennis, it is an mental strategy as well.

championship points for Arthur Ashe. And he has done it! He really has

done it! I was just a kid, I was 16 years old. It was nice to take a

pie and shove it in Jimmy Connors' phase.

Wimbledon has had its fair share of entertainers down the years.

However, it was a showman of a very different kind that captivated the

Centre Court crowd on a wet Wednesday afternoon in 1996.

Entertainer. I thought it was worth sowing, to heck with the rain.

1996, I had just become a member of the club so I was privileged to get

tickets for both centre and caught number one. They said it has now

reigned for three hours and we would love you to do something for

the public. I said, I do not have a guitar with me or anything like

that. I could not go Lansing. And they said, no, we were thinking

more of an interview. Cliff, thank you very much. I think we should

have a little tune. I will ask him nicely. He will never know what he

did. He said, you will never forgive me if I did not ask you to

thing something and I thought, oh no. I will give the microphone to

you. Ladies and gentlemen, Cliff Richard! If he had said to me, you

are going to do a TV show, there is no orchestra, no rehearsal, no band,

I would say, no chance. But there I was, caught between a rock and a

hard place and I said, I made a joke of it. I said, it is summer,

we are all going on a summer holiday.

Fun and laughter on our summer holiday, no more worries for me or

you. For a week or two. We are going where the sun shines

brightly... And then, of course, the thing that

made it for me and the public was, led by Pam Shriver, up came Martina

and Virginia Wade and a whole host of named female tennis players.

We have got a new act, it is called Cliff and the Supremes. Altogether

now... I want the world to know that I am

as happy as can be... It is strange to me but I'm

probably going to be immortalised, not because of summer holiday and

the young ones but because of After the rain, comes the Sun. And

with it, the flowers. It began with bright hot sunshine and keen

competition. Wimbledon is a fashion contest. As the temperature rose,

so did the eyebrows. You have the white clothing, the Royal Box, and

the whole theatre. Call it what you will, head to head, one on one,

Wimbledon was founded on such things. And no two players better

epitomised that than Martina and Chris. The sport was made a lot

better because of the type of rivalries. Chris Evert was the one

who really stuck, the all-American girl first is the forerunner who

says it like it is. -- against the foreigner. I loved watching them

play. Different personalities, games. It was the ideal rivalry.

When she walked down the court I saw this Roly Poly plump little

Czechoslovakia and girl. Whenever I say that she looks at me and says

you weren't exactly skinnier either. The French it was more important

than anything, always. That prevailed. -- friendship. We just

played games. He was pretty easy. - - it was pretty easy. Chris Evert

had already won the title twice before the pair met in the final

for the first time. The rivalry that I don't think it will ever be

equalled, certainly in the quality and quantity, having played so many

times and most of those matches, we were the first and second in the

world respectively and most of Playing in that era with them was

fantastic. You saw two of the greatest ever. In very different

ways. Chris was mentally so tough, so tough on the big points, never

seemed to crack. Martina changed the face of women's tennis. That is

it, game, set and match. No down -- Rafa Nadal and Federer, great

rivals, but we played more matches than them against each other, I am

pleased to be part of rivalry. Martina Navratilova reigned supreme

a beating Chris Evert in all of their finals as she so past Helen

Wills Moodie's title record of eight. In bygone days tennis was

thought of as genteel. In modern times it developed a new

personality. You are the most corrupt official in the game and

you cannot do that. Code violation, I am trying, for Christ's sake.

made history, in the wrong way. I was the first person in one and and

20 years to be disqualified. -- 120 years. I was like an animal, I had

his knee against the world mentality. Heath you cannot be

serious! And mistakenly believe he was a good thing. That ball was on

the line. This was adding some excitement. It was clearly in. How

can you possibly call that out? I probably should have been removed

from the court. Everybody knows it is in in his whole stadium. A lot

of people thought I should be. And you call it out? We she wouldn't go

on about it quite so much. Americas Elizabeth Ryan despite never up

winning the Ladies' Singles and asked 19 Wimbledon titles. Billie-

Jean King, a pioneer of women's tennis, had also accumulated 19,

but believed she had one more in her. She used to come and watch me

as a junior. At the Los Angeles Tennis Club. She was born in

Anaheim, California. I am born in Long Beach. They are really close.

I really appreciated what she had Martina walked up, do you want to

play doubles this year? I didn't know if I would be ready. She said

oh, come on. Let's get your 20th for you. OK, great, I will try. He

gave me such impetus to get ready to be able to play at least doubles

that year. I remember Martina coming in for a volley, the final

shot, going crazy. I was very happy, but very sad at the same time for

Elizabeth Ryan. She looked at me, what is wrong? As said this was a

difficult time. Elizabeth is really heavy on my mind. Ryan, a regular

at Wimbledon, never saw her record broken. She died at the All-England

Club the day before Billie-Jean's triumph. Deep down she didn't want

to see it broken. Another chapter concluded by Billie-Jean King, her

20 a paddle. Will it ever be beaten? Six singles, 10 doubles,

To be the first to do something is memorable. To be the first to do

something out Wimbledon is historic. But don't take my word for it. Ask

a man who was the first to win the title. Unseeded. I was too young to

know I was too young to win Wimbledon. That is why it sticks in

my mind. I was 17, happy to get on Centre Court. I wasn't thinking

about winning. Only much later, years later, I realise the

importance and how Wimbledon Four or five months before we

played at Wimbledon I played him in Milan. He was bitching and whining

about calls, similar to the way I did. I said you have got to win

something first before you start whining. Enough of this. Never, in

my wildest dreams, did I think he would say four months later, when

the Queen's and Wimbledon. -- win Queen's. There is a man here that

has put �10,000 on you to win it. Maybe it is a little bit too much.

He will win �180,000 if you win. wasn't allowed to read the

newspapers, I don't think my English would have been good enough

anyway. I was concentrating on the match and I kept my routine and

really only when the President of Germany came to see the final live,

I said, what an occasion for him to come and see me play! I really

understood much later the importance of this tournament. I

was ready, excited, nervous. Kevin wasn't his usual self. He lost his

first service game. I felt I had a He was diving continuously. I

At the changeover Alabama parents and my coach and said -- I saw they

were closing their eyes and I Looking at the faces afterwards,

them looking at me in a different ways, like I had changed from

He has got the biggest serve in the history of tennis. He is 17 years

old. I thought to myself, things are going to get a whole lot

I was a normal German guy, out of a small town, 17 years and I became

Boris Becker, at the famous tennis player. As with all kings of Centre

Court, the keys of the castle were passed on to the newly anointed.

Wimbledon is no stranger to the best. The best players, the best

courts. The best of everything. But once in a while, something comes

along that is better than the best The 2000 and a final was the

greatest tennis match and have ever It really had everything. Federer

was going for his 6th successive Nadal, before the tournament, we

all thought he did not have a The respect they have for each

other. Game, Nadal. And just the There was quite something

I suspect he is quite pleased he is Rafael Nadal. I can remember almost

everything. Probably the most emotional day in my tennis career.

The tears started going, very emotional. In 20, 30 years' time

people will still be talking about that match. There is nowhere quite