This prestigious event has seen some of the best matches in the entire history of tennis. So there have been some skilled players who have achieved great achievements in the championship. So today we take a look at the champions who have etched their names in the rich history of Wimbledon.
12) Chris Evert
Wimbledon Champions : Three (1974, 1976, 1981)
Chris Evert reached the Wimbledon final 10 times, but won only three titles, losing to Navratilova five times, both at the climax of the tournament.
Evert defeated Russian Olga Morozova to win the French and Wimbledon titles in 1974, and Czech Hana Mandlíková to win the US Open in 1980 and Wimbledon in 1981.
11) Boris Becker
Wimbledon Champions : Three (1985, 1986, 1989)
Boris Becker won two Wimbledon titles before reaching his 19th birthday, suggesting he could rule the All England Club like no one else in history. His powerful serve, excellent volley and ability to dive and pounce around grass courts made it seem like he would dominate Wimbledon for years to come. He won his third Wimbledon title in 1989, still aged 21, but never won it again.
Baker’s most dramatic Wimbledon title was his first when, at age 17, he became the youngest male to win Wimbledon and the first unseeded player to do so.
10) John McEnroe
Wimbledon Champions : Three (1981, 1983, 1984)
Given the way John McEnroe dominated the 1984 Wimbledon tournament at age 25, it’s hard to believe he never won the event again. In fact, McEnroe never won a Grand Slam tournament after the age of 25, although he had one of the most impressive seasons in men’s tennis history in 1984. McEnroe’s epic five-set loss to Björn Borg in the 1980 final set the stage for his victory over Borg in the 1981 final at age 22.
9) Venus Williams
Wimbledon Champions : Five (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008)
Williams successfully defended her title in 2001 to win her second title at Wimbledon, defeating Justine Henin in the final. In the next two years, she lost in the finals to sister Serena Williams. Williams returned to the winner’s circle in 2005, winning her third title at a grass-court major in a memorable final against Lindsay Davenport.
Williams failed to defend her title the following year, but claimed back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008, taking her tally to five titles in the tournament. The American made it to the final in 2009 as well, but was once again beaten by her younger sister.
8) Rod Laver
Wimbledon Champions : Four (1961, 1962, 1968, 1969)
No one can tell how many Wimbledons Rod Laver would have won if professionals had been allowed to play in the tournament in the mid-1960s. Laver won Wimbledon four times in a row in which he participated.
He won the event during his final two years as an amateur, then captured the first two Wimbledons in the Open Era in 1968 and 1969. His best years, between 1963 and 1967, were spent dominating the pro circuit, a period that included five Wimbledons. He was kept out of the game.
7) Bjorn Borg
Wimbledon Champions : Five (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Björn Borg won five consecutive Wimbledon titles, the men’s record for consecutive titles at the All England Club, later matched by Roger Federer.
6) Serena Williams
Wimbledon Champions : Five (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012)
Serena Williams’ five Wimbledon titles in a 10-year span speak to her longevity and her ability to maintain a high level of play over extended periods of time. She won her first Wimbledon crown at the age of 20 and her fifth at the age of 30.
5) Billie Jean King
Wimbledon Champions : Six (1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975)
Billie Jean King will always be remembered for her success on the court, especially at Wimbledon, where she won 6 singles titles and 14 in doubles and mixed doubles. His court craft and intelligent shot-making were nearly impossible to match during his peak years, and his game was one of the most widely used in coaching manuals and tutorials.
4) Steffi Graf
Wimbledon Champions : Seven (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996)
Steffi Graf’s seven Wimbledon singles championships are the second most among women in the Open Era and the third most overall.
Graf’s first Wimbledon title, achieved three weeks after her 19th birthday, was most significant because it was part of Graf’s calendar-year Grand Slam in 1988. Since then, no one has won all four majors in the same year.
3) Pete Sampras
Wimbledon Champions : Seven (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
Pete Sampras won seven Wimbledon titles over an eight-year span, his only failure in that stretch being a quarterfinal loss to Richard Krajicek in 1996.
2) Roger Federer
Wimbledon Champions : Seven (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Roger Federer’s seven men’s Wimbledon singles titles are tied for the most in history, and he was named the greatest player ever in the Tennis Channel’s 2012rankings of the greatest players in history.
1) Martina Navratilova
Wimbledon Champions : Nine (1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990)
Martina Navratilova won more Wimbledon singles crowns than any person in history, Open Era or pre-Open Era, men or women. To put Navratilova’s accomplishment in perspective, she claimed as many Wimbledon singles titles as John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal, Jimmy Connors and Novak Djokovic combined.
