The History Of The Championships, Wimbledon, Wimbledon History How did it all begin? The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded in 1868 and is responsible for the world's leading tennis tournament. Lawn tennis, originally known as ‘Sphairistike, was invented by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield and was introduced at the Club in 1875. Two years later, the Club was renamed “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club” and the first ever Lawn Tennis Championship took place. A new code of laws was drawn up and most of these laws still stand today. During this first Championship, only one event took place; the Men’s Singles, which was won by Spencer Gore. Around 200 spectators paid one shilling each to watch the final. Just five years later, in 1882, the Club’s main activity became lawn tennis and so in 1884, the All England Club (by this point the word “croquet” had been dropped from their name) decided to add two further events; the Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles (Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913).

By the early 1900s the Club had outgrown its home in Worple Road , Wimbledon , where it had been since its formation. A lot had changed since the first ever Lawn Tennis Championship in 1877 (in which the final attracted 200 spectators) and the old grounds were no longer able to cope with the huge crowds who flocked to the event each year. And so, in 1920, the decision to move was taken. A site was chosen just a mile or so from the Worple Road site – and the major undertaking of designing and constructing the new Centre Court began. Well known architect Captain Stanley Peach was commissioned to design the new Centre Court . To convince the Club’s Committee, he built a huge scale model of Centre Court . His original blueprints for the Centre Court still exist (discovered recently in a basement storage area of the offices of Stanley Peach & Co). A driving force throughout the project was Commander George Hillyard, secretary of the Club since 1907 and once a men’s doubles finalist.

Hillyard collaborated with Peach on the ambitious design and his mission for the Club was clear: ‘‘Let us look to it that we construct and equip our ground that it will immediately be recognised as the finest, not only in England Wimbledon is acknowledged to be the World’s premier tennis tournament and a Long Term Plan was unveiled in 1993 by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which will improve the quality of the event for spectators, players, officials and neighbours in years to come. The first stage of the Plan was completed in time for the 1997 Championships and involved building the new No. 1 Court, a Broadcast Centre, two extra grass courts, and a tunnel under the hill to link Church Road Somerset Road . The second stage involved the removal of the old No. 1 Court complex in order to make way for the new Millennium Building to provide extensive facilities for the players, press, officials and Members, and also the extension of the West Stand of Centre Court, creating a further 728 seats.

The third stage is currently under way with the recent redevelopment of the turnstile area, the construction of the new Museum Building at Gate 3, a permanent 2,600 sq ft Wimbledon Shop, Club offices and Ticket Office, an increase in Centre Court capacity from 13800 to 15000, and a new restaurant and bars. Rain has frequently interrupted play at The Championships and so this year, for the first time, a new retractable roof will be in use on Centre Court . During The Championships, this roof is to be kept primarily closed in an attempt to protect play from inclement. 2009 also sees an increase in the court’s capacity to 15,000 and the installation of new, wider padded seating for the comfort of the spectators. Wimbledon Over the years, Wimbledon has developed many unique traditions, including: strawberries and cream , royal patronage, a strict dress code for competitors, and ball boys and girls. However, one not so popular tradition of the rain stopping play should hopefully be avoided in 2009, with the installation of a retractable roof on Centre Court .

This will come as a relief after the 2008 Men’s Final lasted 7 hours, ending in darkness and making it the longest Men’s Final in history. The British are very proud of the tournament and such unique traditions help emphasise this fact but something we are no doubt less proud of is the fact that the Singles event hasn’t actually been won by a British man since Fred Perry in 1936 or a British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977. Previous FRED PERRY 1934, 1935, 1936 Ever since becoming world table-tennis champion as a 20-year-old in 1929 Fred Perry, the son a Labour MP, had set his sights on becoming as dominant on the larger stage. He had been playing the game for only seven years when in 1934, aged 25, he won the first of his three consecutive singles titles at Wimbledon . His 1934 victory was against Crawford, the holder, in three sets in the final. The following year, he mastered the German, Baron Gottfried von Cramm, in the final in three sets.

In 1936, Perry beat Don Budge in the semi-finals and in the final (the last singles Perry played in the Championships) he again beat von Cramm in straight sets. There never was a more effectively forceful British player. At Wimbledon he took three successive titles and won 21 consecutive singles. The record stood until Björn Borg, arrived on the scene in the 1970s and Perry was the first to congratulate him. BJöRN BORG 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 Never in the history of lawn tennis did any player accomplish so much and in so brief a time as the Swede, Björn Borg. He was more coolly dominating and ruthless at Wimbledon than any previous modern challenger, precociously successful in Paris and on clay courts, clinically efficient in the Davis Cup and entirely a sporting phenomenon. Only the US title was to escape his grasp: he lost in the final four times.

Having won the junior tournament at Wimbledon in 1972 aged 16, it was in 1976 at his fourth attempt that Borg wove the first major strands in his unique Wimbledon tapestry. He lost a set to no-one, his victims including Guillermo Vilas, the hard serving Roscoe Tanner in the semis and the touch genius Ilie Nastase in the final. It would not be until 1981 that he next lost at Wimbledon . The span was from 1st July 1975, when Ashe beat him in the quarter finals, to 4th July 1981 with McEnroe his victor in the final: 41 matches in a continuity of victory and five successive titles! After the first Borg’s subsequent titles were more onerously gained. In 1977, he overcame the American Vitas Gerulaitis in a brilliant five set semi final. In the final he survived in a five-setter against Jimmy Connors. In 1978 Borg made an awkward start in his opening match but proceeded dominantly to the final beating Connors again, this time quite easily.

In 1979, the final also had the champion against the ropes, before Borg beat Tanner in five sets. In 1980 Borg had his notable confrontation with McEnroe in the final. It was among the best ever played at that stage. Borg won the final set by 8-6 to be champion for the fifth time. In 1981, though McEnroe at last got his hands on the famous gold cup with a victory in four sets. For Borg it was virtually the end. Only 25, the years of intense effort had taken their toll. Later, in 1981, he suddenly retired from the mainstream. Idolised by young spectators and awesomely admired by all, Borg’s legacy was immense. His example made the double fisted backhand and patience an orthodoxy. His coolness under pressure, his speed about the court, his utter dependability from the back of the court through the use of heavy topspin, his fast reflexes on the volley, his formidable serve, his bloody-minded refusal to lose – all these attributes, honed to perfection by coach Lennart Bergelin – pointed the way forward.

Björn Borg ranks as one of the giants of the game. PAT CASH 1987 Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1965, Patrick Hart Cash first came into the tennis spotlight in the early 1980s, and in 1981, he was ranked the top junior tennis player in the world. The following year, Cash won the junior titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open and the same year, he turned professional, going on to win his first top-level singles title in Melbourne. He soon established a reputation as a hard-fighting serve-and-volleyer and for wearing his trademark black-and-white checked headband and his cross earring. In 1983, aged just 17, he became the youngest player ever to win a singles Davis Cup final and a year later he reached the men’s singles semi-finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open, losing to John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl respectively. He was also the runner-up in the Men’s Doubles competition at Wimbledon with McNamee and again the following year with Fitzgerald.

In 1986, Cash claimed a 3-2 victory over Swede, Mikael Pernfors, in the Davis Cup and just a year later came the crowning in moment of his career, his triumph at the 1987 Wimbledon Championship, beating World No.1, Ivan Lendl in straight sets. This victory made him one of only a handful of players to win junior Wimbledon and senior Wimbledon singles titles (others include Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer). Pat Cash continued on the full-time circuit until his retirement in 1997, despite Achilles tendon, knee and back injuries. Since retiring, Cash now lives in London and has coached many top players, including Greg Rusedski and Mark Philippoussis. Also during his retirement, he has opened a number of tennis academies and for The 2009 Championships, Keith Prowse is delighted to offer the exclusive opportunity for our guests to play tennis with Pat Cash on the morning of their visit to The Championships at the Speakeasy venue ; thereafter, Pat will join guests to discuss the order of play, his thoughts on the current players and sign autographs.

ROGER FEDERER 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 The career of Roger Federer is still unfinished. By the close of 2008, still only 27, the Swiss superstar has already achieved tennis immortality. His total of 13 Grand Slam victories among the men is second only to Pete Sampras’s 14. By reaching the final of ten consecutive Grand Slam championships and winning Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back four times in a row, he set records that may never be equalled. Until overtaken by Rafael Nadal in August 2008, Federer had been ranked number l in the world for 237 consecutive weeks. There was early evidence that Roger had exceptional talent: in 1998 he won the junior singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon (only two others have done that). He also beat 17 times champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round at Wimbledon Two years later he joined Björn Borg, Pat Cash and Stefan Edberg as Wimbledon ’s only junior champions who went on the win the men’s singles.

His victories over Andy Roddick in the semi final and Mark Philippousis now placed him at the top of the game. Between 2004 and 2007, the confidence factor lifted Federer to another level. His further Wimbledon final victims have been Andy Roddick (2004 and 2005) and Rafael Nadal (2006 and 2007). His five wins in a row equalled Björn Borg’s record in the 1980s and the Swede was present on Centre Court in the Royal Box to witness Federer’s feat in 2007. Even when his reign came to an end in 2008 at the hands of an inspired Nadal, Federer produced a performance of heroic proportions as he came back from two sets down and saved two match points in the fourth-set tiebreak before going down 9 7 in the fifth set of a compelling battle full of glorious shot making. Two months later, a fifth consecutive US Open triumph saved Federer’s year. A natural athlete, Federer’s speed of thought and movement, when allied to an abundant talent with the racket, give him options that others envy.

Many consider that we have been witnessing the greatest striker of a tennis ball who ever lived. As with Sampras, however, there is one piece still missing; the French Open title on clay has eluded his grasp, losing three finals in a row to Rafael Nadal. Perhaps his two finest weapons are his serve and his forehand. Both are hit with easy grace; both are deadly. A strong right wrist allows him to apply fizzing topspin on the forehand when necessary to create sharp angles; it also produces heavy slice or topspin on the serve. Federer has reminded us all how beautiful this game can be. British Tennis Players As one of the four major tennis tournaments, and possibly the toughest, Wimbledon is the tournament that all players set out to win during their career. Winning a singles title at the Championships automatically assures that a player goes down in Wimbledon tennis history. The first Wimbledon Men’s Singles champion was British player, Spencer Gore, who won the first title back in 1877 and for the next 40 years, British males dominated the title. This was probably due to that fact that it was predominantly British males who entered the Championships in its early years.

However, between 1907 and 1912 this trend changed and Australian players, Norman Brookes and Arthur Wilding, kick-started the dominance of international male players. Since then, few British tennis players have earned the title Men’s Singles Champion. Fred Perry was the last British Men’s Singles Champion, winning the title for the third and final time in 1936. This is something which has become a long-standing joke among the British media in the weeks preceding the Championship as over the years, many British players have tried and failed to win the title. Virginia Wade was the last British tennis player to win Wimbledon , winning the Ladies Singles title in the tournament’s centenary year. Throughout her long and successful career she won three Grand Slam singles titles and four Grand Slam doubles titles but winning Wimbledon in 1977 was the pinnacle of her career Since Wade, no British play has won the Championships but perhaps the player who has come closest to claiming the title in recent years is Tim Henman. Henman appeared in four semi finals of Wimbledon ; however, he never managed to get into a final. Andy Murray is currently ranked the highest British player.

In 2006, Murray reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time and last year he was knocked out at the quarter finals stage by eventual champion, Rafael Nadal. Could he become Britain ’s next Wimbledon Champion in 2009? When Does The Tournament Take Place ? Every year, the tournament begins on the Monday which falls between 20 and 26 June and is scheduled to last 14 days. Traditionally, there is no play on the “Middle Sunday” as this is considered to be a rest day. This tradition has only been broken three times in the history of the Championships; in 1991, 1997 and 2004, when rain forced play. The Grounds All of the nineteen courts which are used for Wimbledon are made of rye grass and the two main courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, are usually only used for the two weeks of the Championships (although under exceptional circumstances, play can be extended into a third week). The other seventeen courts are used throughout the year for other events. Today, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event still played on grass courts.

opened in 1922 when the Club moved from Worple Road to Church Road . It usually plays host to both the semi-finals and the finals of each of the main events, as well as many of the earlier matches. At the south end of the court is the Royal Box from which members of the Royal Family and other dignitaries are able to watch. No.1 Court The second most important court is No. 1 Court. The current court was built in 1997 with an increased capacity of 11,000 Ball boys and ball girls Each year, ball boys and girls play an essential role in the smooth running of The Championships and since 1969 have been provided by local schools, having an average age of 15. Prospective candidates are nominated by their headteacher and must undergo and series of written and fitness tests before being selected Wimbledon Dark green and purple are the traditional colours of Wimbledon . Until 2005, Green clothing was worn by the chair umpire, linesmen, ball boys and ball girls but in 2006 a new navy blue and cream uniform designed by Ralph Lauren was introduced. Trophies The Men’s Singles champion receives a silver gilt cup.

This trophy has been awarded since 1887 and bears the inscription: "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World." The Ladies' Singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish". The salver is decorated with figures from mythology. Winners of the Men's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups. The runner-up in each event receives an inscribed silver plate. The trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England Club, The Duke of Kent, and by his sister, Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy. Hospitality at Wimbledon Mens Players | Mens Singles Champions | Andy Murray | Roger Federer Mens Players Wimbledon Mens Singles We take a look at the mens singles competition, providing background and chances of the players for the 2011 tournament at the All England Club. Many Tennis fans would argue that Wimbledon is the toughest of the four majors to win as it is the only one played on a grass surface. The winner must therefore be versatile in handling the different challenges that playing on grass poses. Please check here for details of the 2010 Wimbledon mens seedings .

The 2011 Men’s singles at Wimbledon promises yet again to be as exciting as ever with Roger Federer favourite in the Wimbledon mens singles betting to win the crown once again afre beating Andy Roddick last year. Nadal’s victory in 2008 prevented Federer from becoming the first man in Wimbledon history to record six straight wins, he will be back at SW19 for the first time since and desperate to regain his crown. In some media circles Federer was being written off last year, but he came back to the top when he won the US Open Tennis for the fifth straight year, defeating Britain's Andy Murray in the final. He then lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final in another five set epic, before achieving his greatest moment in tennis, when he won the French Open title for the first time. That win gave him a record equalling fourteen Grand Slams a record he shares with, Sampras and he also became the first man since Andre Agassi to win all four Grand Slam titles.

We think that Federer should win once more this year but the following players all have chances Robin Soderling Fred Perry - The last British Mens Single Champion Fred Perry was the last British mens single champion at Wimbledon when he won the title for the third and final time in 1936. Perry, had won the previous two mens singles titles at the 1934 and 1935 Championship and despite being some years ago reports suggest that he was one of the greatest ever Wimbledon champions. Can Scot, Andy Murray emulate the great man this year? Murray has been in outstanding form this year and won the the title at Queens Club last week. He has shot up to number three in the world rankings and is third favourite to win in the mens singles betting. He reached the quarter finals last year where he was beaten by Rafa Nadal. Tim Henman remains the only British player to get to the semi finals in recent years, he achieved this four times in total. Modern Era Mens Wimbledon Champions In recent years, some of the biggest names in mens Tennis have lifted the famous Mens Singles trophy.

Four times champion Rod Laver was the first male to claim the title in the open era in 1968 and 1969. Fellow Australian John Newcombe won back to back championships in 1970 and 1971 before Bjorn Borg won four consecutive titles between 1976 - 79. During the 80s, the Wimbledon mens singles title was won by great names such as John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, all who won the title on more than one occasion during the decade. American great Pete Sampras dominated the title in the 90s winning the mens singles crown a total of seven times between 1993 and 2000, only Richard Krajicek stopped him from winning a Wimbledon record eight straight titles. In recent years, the mens singles game has been all about Roger Federer who has won the last four Wimbledon mens singles championships and the Swiss star shows no signs of slowing down his dominance of the mens game. Past Wimbledon Mens Singles Winners 1980 B.

Borg (Sweeden) Wimbledon Champions: Men's top 25 - Telegraph Wimbledon Champions: Men's top 25 9:41AM BST 28 Jun 2008 Former champion Bjorn Borg reveals his top 25 men while Mark Hodgkinson and Kaz Mochlinski profile the players. Andre Agassi 1992 In his early, tennis-punk years, Andre Agassi skipped three Wimbledons, arguing that grass wasn't for him and also expressing some annoyance that the All England Club officials wouldn't allow him to wear his multi-coloured clothing. However, the showman from Nevada returned to Wimbledon in 1991, and with much speculation about whether he would stick to the Wimbledon white ruling, he teased the officials. Standing on court before his first match, he peeled off his tracksuit to reveal a white shirt, white shorts, white socks and white shoes. The white knight reached the quarter-finals and the following year went all the way, beating Goran Ivanisevic in the final to win his first grand slam title. At the moment of victory, the American flung himself back on to the grass – the surface he had once professed to loathe.

And so began the metamorphosis of Agassi. Borg on Agassi Andre had such a big personality. That was a great thing for tennis as kids all over the world wanted to be just like him. They also wanted to look like him as he had his own special style with those cycling shorts. Andre had a great heart, you could see that on the court. The best part of his game was his service return and that was the shot that was key to him winning the Wimbledon title. Andre was loved all over the world and it was a big story when he won Wimbledon Arthur Ashe 1975 Growing up in the American South, the black-skinned Arthur Ashe was subjected to years of racial abuse and was denied entry to clubs and competitions. But Ashe countered the racists with a Gandhi-like dignity. That same quiet composure and intelligence helped him to defeat one of the loud men of tennis, Jimmy Connors, in the 1975 Wimbledon final. Never mind that Connors was staring Ashe down during the changeovers. Ashe, pictured with the Wimbledon trophy after his victory, had devised a cute tactical plan on a napkin the night before and took most of the pace off his shots to give Connors nothing to play with.

Ashe, the only black male to have won the Wimbledon title, was given an infected blood transfusion after an operation in the early Eighties and died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. One of the real good guys of men's tennis. Borg on Ashe When Arthur became the Wimbledon champion, that was an important moment in the sport's history as it showed that anyone can win tournaments. He did a lot of work outside tennis; he was a great champion. One of my regrets is that I never sat down with Arthur and had a deep conversation about the problems that he went through when he was growing up and starting out with his tennis. I was never that close to Arthur so I never had the chance to do that. But there is no doubt that he was an inspiring champion and an inspiring man. Boris Becker 1985-86 &1989 Becker was an unseeded 17-year-old when he won the 1985 Championships, beating Kevin Curren in the final. This victory made Becker, pictured leaving Centre Court after the match, the youngest ever male winner, the first unseeded champion and the first German winner, and he became an overnight international sporting superstar.

However, just to prove that his breakthrough victory had not been a fluke, Becker came back the next summer and successfully defended his golden Challenge Cup, with a win over Ivan Lendl. Still, he wasn't able to achieve a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles as he lost in the second round of the 1987 tournament. But the 19-year-old put the result into proper perspective: "No one died." Becker, with his 'Boom Boom' serve, won a third time by beating Stefan Edberg in the 1989 final – revenge after losing to the Swede in the previous year's final. Borg on Becker It was a phenomenal achievement for Becker to win Wimbledon when he was 17. He was so young but he played tennis with such power and had a phenomenal serve. He is a great champion and I always enjoyed watching all his matches. He came back the next year, at 18, to defend his title and that showed that it wasn't a fluke to have won when so young.

Jean Borotra 1924 & 1926 Jean Borotra, the Bounding Basque, was a ladies' man and often liked to chase down a wide shot as that would allow him to run into the crowd and sit himself down on a friendly lap. The Frenchman, one of the 'Four Musketeers' who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s, also used to fling his trademark black beret at any mademoiselles who had caught his attention in the Wimbledon crowds. However, despite his lust for life and for women, Borotra could also play a mean game of tennis. He had an athletic style, bouncing and bounding across the turf, and he was the Wimbledon champion in 1924 and again two years later. He lost to his compatriots in three other finals – to René Lacoste in 1925, and Henri Cochet in 1927 and 1929. Don Budge 1937-38 The American Don Budge was from the old school, playing in long, white flannel trousers and shoes that had been meticulously whitened.

Budge also used an extremely heavy wooden racket and opted against using leather grips because he preferred bare wood. At the 1937 final he heard his opponent, Germany's Gottfried Von Cramm, take a telephone call from Adolf Hitler before they walked on court. Hitler told Cramm that he had to win for the Fatherland. "All we heard was him saying, 'Ja, mein Fuhrer'," Budge said. "Gottfried came out pale and serious and played every point as if his life depended on it." Budge beat his petrified opponent and then retained his title the following year by defeating Britain's Bunny Austin in the final. Pat Cash 1987 The Australian Pat Cash may only have won one grand slam title, but it proved to be unforgettable. Not only was his serve-and-volley tennis magnificent, but he marked his 1987 Wimbledon success by climbing up through the Centre Court stands over the heads of spectators to the players' guests box to share his moment of glory with coach Ian Barclay and his father.

Having shown great promise by lifting the Wimbledon boys' singles and doubles in 1982, Cash fulfilled all those expectations five years later by beating three world number ones in consecutive rounds: Mats Wilander in the quarter-finals, Jimmy Connors in the semi-finals and Ivan Lendl in the final, all without dropping a set. Injuries resulting from his all-action game meant he was never able to reach such heights again. Jimmy Connors 1974 & 1982 His nickname of 'Jimbo' created the misleading impression that Jimmy Connors was friendly on court; in fact, he famously remarked that "some people don't seem to understand that it's damn war out there". The American was the master of changeover trash-talking and staring down his opponents – anything that might intimidate his rival. He was a street-fighter of a tennis player and wouldn't give up on a single point. He growled and grappled his way to two Wimbledon crowns – beating the Australian veteran Ken Rosewall in a one-sided final in 1974, and in 1982, pictured above, his fierce rival, John McEnroe.

Borg on Connors He was the player who would never give up – he fought for every shot and every ball. He was also very consistent at Wimbledon, was always there at the business-end of tournaments. Reggie Doherty 1897-1900 Although he won the Wimbledon men's singles one less time than his brother, Laurie, it is Reggie who is considered by many experts as the greatest British player ever. He was the champion from 1897 to 1900 and the runner-up in 1901, and it was only after he withdrew from playing in the singles at the Championships that his brother got his own first title. And Reggie did it despite unconventionally holding his racket the same way for both forehands and backhands. He further handicapped himself by playing in long-sleeved shirts with the cuffs unbuttoned. But each year he secured the singles crown, he also took the doubles with Laurie, eventually gaining a total of eight titles in the latter event, which is still a Wimbledon record for a men's doubles pair.

He teamed up with his brother to win gold in the doubles at the Paris Olympics in 1900; an extra footnote was his victory in the first Olympic mixed-doubles final in 1900, partnering Charlotte Cooper. Like his brother Laurie, he suffered ill health while still young and died, aged only 38, in 1910. Laurie Doherty 1902-1906 THE younger of the two Doherty brothers was the last Wimbledonian to win the men's singles at the All England Club. Along with his sibling, Reggie, he was born in the centre of Wimbledon in a house in Hartfield Road, just across the London & South Western Railway line from the old tournament venue in Worple Road. After finishing as the runner-up to his brother in 1898, he dominated the event – winning for five years from 1902 to 1906. His record as the winner of the most Wimbledon titles on the men's side, with a total of 13 in singles and doubles – when he was paired with his brother – remains to this day.

In 1903 he became the first overseas man to succeed in the US Championships, the forerunner of the US???Open. In the same year he was part of the first British Isles team to win the Davis Cup, an event in which he never lost a match during the five years he played. Doherty also collected two Olympic gold medals – in the singles and doubles, with Reggie, at the Paris Games of 1900. Little wonder that The Times considered an obituary to be insufficient for him and marked his premature passing, in 1919 at the age of 43, with a leader article. Stefan Edberg 1988 & 1990 While the Swede Stefan Edberg played an attacking serve-and-volley game that often fried the nerves of his supporters, he was an emotional flat-liner during matches, an implacable figure on Centre Court, one cool cat. Edberg rarely ever got more heated than a winter's day in downtown Stockholm. The risky tennis and the steadfast temperament took him to three successive Wimbledon finals against Germany's Boris Becker and two titles in 1988 and 1990.

Britain's Tim Henman greatly admired his play. Edberg now makes his money through property and investments. Borg on Edberg I watched his three finals against Becker and enjoyed the rivalry they had. He was a very aggressive player with his serve-and-volley style of play and that is a type of tennis I really like to watch. Henri Cochet 1927 & 1929 Such was Henri Cochet's languid manner and the unhurried way he moved on court that contemporary reports talked of Cochet dreaming he was playing on Centre Court before waking up to find he actually was. The Frenchman's lack of alacrity in coming to the net resulted in him having to become a master of the half-volley. It was to prove a key to him winning Wimbledon in 1927 and 1929. His first success remains one of the most extraordinary of any at the All England Club, as he managed to come back from two sets down in each of his quarter-final, semi-final and final matches, even saving six match points before winning the title contest against the defending champion, Jean Borotra. His game may have been unorthodox, but his disinterested appearance just masked his remarkable competitiveness.

Roy Emerson 1964-65 Growing up as the son of a dairy farmer in Black Butt in Queensland helped Roy Emerson's tennis – milking all those cows as a boy had helped him to develop the muscles needed for his time on court. 'Emmo' was a popular, friendly presence on the tennis circuit; he even shared a London flat with the fellow Australian he beat in the 1964 and 1965 Wimbledon finals – Fred Stolle. "On the day of the finals, I made sure that I cooked Fred breakfast," he recalled. Roger Federer 2003-2007 THE golden stretch began in the summer of 2003 when Switzerland's world No 1 scored his first grand slam title on Centre Court by beating Australia's Mark Philippoussis. Four more golden Challenge Cups followed, with two wins against America's Andy Roddick and then two against Rafael Nadal; the second against the Spaniard, over five sets last summer, meant that he had equalled Bjorn Borg's record of five titles in succession. Borg was there to see him achieve it last July, watching it all from the front row of the Royal Box. There were tears from Federer.

Afterwards, Federer and Borg met for what was described as "a Swedish hug". Borg on Federer I see a lot of myself in Roger as we're very similar on the court. He doesn't tend to show his emotions either, he doesn't let it all out. He keeps his cool. Of course, he has feelings and emotions just like every other human being, it's just that he doesn't like to show them in the stadium. But maybe he lets his emotions out to someone after he has left the stadium. I know that he cares a lot about it and after the match he's a very cool guy. Roger is such a special guy. On a grass court Roger has no weaknesses at all. Lew Hoad 1956-57 One of the most laid-back characters to have won Wimbledon, it often seemed as though the Australian was as happy drinking cold beers with his mates as he was winning on Centre Court. Hoad, born in Sydney, had developed great strength by training as a boxer in his younger years and that muscularity often allowed him to squelch opponents. He won his first Wimbledon trophy in 1956 and successfully defended his golden pot a year later.

If he had been a bit more serious-minded, if he had swapped the smiles for snarls, how many more Wimbledon titles could he have won? Goran Ivanisevic 2001 It was Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Po and Tinky-Winky what won it for Goran Ivanisevic. The Croat is the only Wimbledon champion to have been inspired by watching tapes of Teletubbies, the children's television programme known for its gibberish and brightly-coloured silliness (well, the only one that we know of). Ivanisevic also proudly spoke of his Split personalities – Bad Goran, Good Goran and Emergency Goran. He ate the same meal at the same restaurant every night during the 2001 Championships, so, never mind his service action, how did his digestive system hold up for a fortnight? Ivanisevic, a semi-final conqueror of Britain's Tim Henman, beat Pat Rafter on a People's Monday, a day that highlighted all that is great about tennis. An anarchic, complicated, charismatic, brilliant champion.

Borg on Ivanisevic I was so pleased for Ivanisevic when he finally won a Wimbledon title as I really felt as though he deserved it. His style of play was ideally suited to the grass and it was just a surprise that he only won one championship. That summer I think everyone was surprised that he came through the draw to lift the title. I think he was even surprised himself that he had done it. Rene Lacoste 1925 & 1928 His name remains very prominent thanks to the incredible, continuing popularity of his tennis shirts. But Rene Lacoste would feel just as much at home on court in the modern era, where winning from the baseline on grass has again taken over from serve and volleying. Yet in 1928, when the Frenchman secured his second title following on from his 1925 triumph, it was to be the last time for half a century that Wimbledon was won from the back of the court, until Bjorn Borg's emergence. Physically very fragile, Lacoste made up for his weakness by an intimate knowledge of his opponents' strengths, keeping detailed notebooks on the other leading players of the day and using the information to tactically out-think them.

He was known for playing in an unfashionable cream flat cap, but such was the success of his clothing line that Britain's Fred Perry copied the idea as a source of income in his retirement. Rod Laver 1961-62 & 1968-69 The Australian was such a gifted striker of the ball that it was said that he probably could have put down his racket, gone into the kitchen to fetch a frying pan, and still have come back and slammed aces. Rod Laver, who had none of the pretence and bombast of some other, lesser players, put himself down as a 5ft 8in "runt". But others called him either the Rockhampton Rocket, after his home town Down Under, or simply, 'The Greatest'. Laver won four Wimbledon titles and could have had double that number. He was a class act and is Roger Federer's hero. He handed Federer the Australian Open trophy one year, and the Swiss player burst into tears. Borg on Laver When I was growing up Laver was my idol. I loved to watch his matches on television.

Laver could do almost anything with a tennis ball – he was so talented and had so many shots at his disposal. He was great to watch and when I started on the tour I told everyone that he was my hero. It was such a thrill then when I had the chance to play him and was able to look across the net and see my idol. I played against him a few times but that was when he was coming towards the end of his career, so I didn't play him when he was at his best. John McEnroe 1981, 1983-84 The casual tennis fan knows all about the New Yorker's "You cannot be serious" tantrums on Centre Court. John McEnroe probably did more than anyone to raise the standard of the officiating at the All England Club. Yet McEnroe was much more than just an excitable presence with his wild, curly hair erupting over the top of a flaming red headband; he was also a fabulous, fantastic tennis player, who won three Wimbledon titles.

McEnroe lost the drama-filled 1980 final to Bjorn Borg, but the next year he came back and prevented the 'Ice Man' from winning six trophies in a row. In 1983 he beat New Zealand's Chris Lewis for the loss of just six games, and the year after that he dropped even fewer games for a 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 demolition of fellow American Jimmy Connors. But his greatest rivalry was with Borg; the 'Hot-head' and the Ice Man had the greatest respect for each other. Borg on McEnroe John and I had great respect for each other on and off the court. John was famous for his temper and for his outbursts, but I believe that he never got too worked up when he played against me. I think that was because he thought he had to be totally focused on the tennis when he faced me. There were never any problems between John and I on the court. We had some great matches and a great rivalry – we brought out some of the best tennis in each other.

John Newcombe 1967, 1970-71 The Australian was as likely to be found relaxing in the bar of the tournament hotel as on the practice courts. Yet his powerful serve-and-volley game was good enough to equal Rod Laver's feat of claiming Wimbledon titles in both the amateur and open eras. He won three times, in 1967, 1970 and 1971, but was denied a chance of three in a row after Fred Perry 1934-36 It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when Fred Perry wasn't a statue in the grounds of the All England Club and was actually flesh and blood. Perry, from a working-class Stockport background, won three successive titles, from 1934-36, but he never endeared himself to some of the All England Club hierarchy. His name is still on the tip of everyone's tongue on the British tennis scene, as no British man has won Wimbledon since him, and Andy Murray has an endorsement deal with Fred Perry Clothing.

William Renshaw 1881-86 & 1889 There are not many sportsmen who can claim to have had a train station built because of them, but that was just part of Renshaw's achievement while winning Wimbledon seven times. Such was the rapid increase in the Championships' popularity during his reign as champion that the London & South Western Railway had to put in a special stop beside the old All England Club grounds in Worple Road, to which special excursions were then run. His pioneering of the smash led to it being known for years as the 'Renshaw smash'. Pete Sampras 1993-95, 1997-2000 The American's game was built for the grass courts of south-west London and it brought him seven titles in all. Sampras won three trophies in a row from 1993-95 and then went on a streak of four trophies from 1997-2000. In beating Andre Agassi in the 1999 final he played tennis that was pretty close to perfection.

But Sampras was denied a successive fifth title, which would have allowed him to equal Bjorn Borg's record, when he was beaten in the fourth round of the 2001 tournament by a certain Roger Federer. Borg made a light-hearted phone-call to Federer after that to thank him for keeping his record intact. The one true pity for Sampras was that he doesn't exactly have warm, gooey memories from his last appearance at the All England Club. That came in 2002 when, playing on the 'Graveyard of Champions' Court Two, he was beaten in the second round by a journeyman from Switzerland, George Bastl. Borg on Sampras His record at Wimbledon, with his seven titles, tells you everything you need to know. I think he always looked totally comfortable on grass and he was a player I used to enjoy watching. Manuel Santana 1966 "Grass is for cows," Manuel Santana famously said, but that was before he won his Wimbledon title in the summer of 1966 by beating American Dennis Ralston.

Santana was the first Spanish man to lift one of those golden Challenge Cups on Centre Court and he even managed to convert General Franco to lawn tennis. Previously, Franco had viewed tennis as a game for the rich, but suddenly he wanted to meet the player after his triumph. So Santana proved that grass isn't just for cows, but also for particular fascist dictators. All with a smile on his face. No Spanish man has won Wimbledon since. Stan Smith 1972 The American Stan Smith may have won only once at the All England Club, but it was memorable enough for him to fully deserve a place in the pantheon of tennis greats. His 1972 success was one of Wimbledon's greatest finals, a five-set classic with him claiming the final set 7-5 to deny Romania's Ilie Nastase his best chance of winning the title. Smith's unfailing calmness and impeccable good manners earned him the nickname 'Gentleman Stan', which belied the aggressive play emanating from his 6ft 4in build.

Bill Tilden 1920-21 & 1930 During the 1920s and 1930s, there was no bigger star in tennis than Bill Tilden. He knew that, too. He was a triple champion at the All England Club, scoring his first title in 1920, defending it a year later and winning a third in 1930. But he is remembered as much for his colourful private life. The American was twice imprisoned after gay sex scandals and also ran with the outrageous Hollywood set. When he died, aged 60, in 1953, having been abandoned by tennis and most of his friends, he was alone in a motel room with less than $100 to his name.

Question: Who won the 1990 Men’s Wimbledon Singles Championship?
Answer: Stefan Edberg