Jun 30, 2026 · 2 min · 3 segments
For Hall of Famer Virginia Wade, the 16th time was the charm at Wimbledon. Nearly 50 years on, the most recent British woman to win the singles title at The Championships reflects on sealing her…
Virginia WadeGuest
[instrumental music] When I was thinking about Wimbledon in 1977, I thought to myself, "At this stage of my career, I have never really played as well as I should at Wimbledon." So I'm thinking, "Oh, boy," you know, "What am I even doing playing the tournament?" And then I found out that the Queen was going to be there.
[instrumental music] For an English player, Wimbledon is just the ultimate, but it also comes with its difficulties.
When I got to 1977, I hadn't won a Grand Slam for five years, and there was a tremendous atmosphere, and the papers were all agog.
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[instrumental music] When I was thinking about Wimbledon in 1977, I thought to myself, "At this stage of my career, I have never really played as well as I should at Wimbledon." So I'm thinking, "Oh, boy," you know, "What am I even doing playing the tournament?" And then I found out that the Queen was going to be there.
[instrumental music] For an English player, Wimbledon is just the ultimate, but it also comes with its difficulties.
When I got to 1977, I hadn't won a Grand Slam for five years, and there was a tremendous atmosphere, and the papers were all agog.
