ON THE COVER Wimbledon Women

We celebrate some of the greatest players to grace the courts of SW19

It was the year of the jubilee and never could there have been a better time to win Wimbledon.

Forty years on from her victory, Virginia Wade recalls her greatest career highlight:

“Sometimes it feels like a million years ago, but other times it feels like yesterday,” she says. “There was a little extra motivation because of the jubilee and the fact that it was Wimbledon’s centenary year, and maybe fate played a part as well.”

Famously disinterested in tennis, the Queen was there to witness Virginia’s defeat of her opponent, defending champion Chris Evert. After the match win, the Queen presented Virginia with the Venus Rosewater dish.

To this day, Virginia still doesn’t really know what the Queen said to her in that moment, following her 4-6 6-3 6-1 victory.

“I couldn’t hear what the Queen was saying because there was such a commotion and the crowd were singing ‘For she’s a jolly good fellow’. Later there was the Champions’ Dinner at the Savoy. It was the first year they abandoned the dance between the champions – so I never got to dance with Bjorn (Borg).”

Following her retirement from the game, Virginia worked for years as a commentator, coach and motivational speaker. She maintains her fitness and still loves to hit the courts.

“I think it’s pretty straightforward – a good diet, some exercise. I don’t go to the gym but I try to stretch most days. I play tennis and I walk a lot.

“I still love the game. I find a tennis court not only a great place for exercise but also very therapeutic. I sort out all the questions in my head on the tennis court.”