40 years since that iconic win at Wimbledon...
IT IS not quite as famous a photo as that of Virginia Wade in her pink cardigan, receiving the Venus Rosewater Dish from Her Majesty after winning Wimbledon in 1977.
But this rare picture shows Britain’s last female Wimbledon singles champion reclining in the aftermath of her iconic victory at the All England Club, the 40th anniversary of which is next Saturday.
The image was taken as she paid a brief visit to the house of a family member in Kent before heading back to New York, which is her primary residence now, as it was then.
The anniversary takes place before Wimbledon starts this year due to a shift in dates, with this summer’s Championships being the latest since 1895.
‘It’s a fun picture,’ said Wade. Its tranquility is in sharp contrast to the mayhem that ensued after she had beaten Holland’s Betty Stove 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
‘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”. I’ve still no idea why,’ she said.
‘That night I went with family and friends to a lovely Indian restaurant. Then there was the Champions’ Dinner at the Savoy on the Saturday. It was the first year they abandoned the dance between the champions, so I never got to dance with Bjorn [Borg].
‘I had to get back to New York very quickly afterwards because I was playing American Team Tennis at the time and was required for that.’