For many, Wimbledon is the jewel of the tennis calendar.
It might be one of four Grand Slam events, along with the Australian, French and US Opens, but The Championships have greater prestige than any other tournament in the sport. It is the pinnacle of tennis and has created legends over 145 years of history.
It is also where several British players have enjoyed the greatest moments of their careers. Wimbledon is the epitome of British tennis culture and there is nothing more the Centre Court crowds adore than a homegrown hope.
But who were the last British players to win the men's and women's singles titles at SW19?
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Who was the last British player to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon?
Andy Murray has won the men's singles title at Wimbledon twice in his career with his most recent triumph coming in 2016. This came three years after the Scot ended a 76-year wait for a men's singles champion in 2013 when he beat Novak Djokovic just 12 months after losing his first Wimbledon final to Roger Federer.
Murray faced Canadian Milos Raonic in the 2016 final and won in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2). Djokovic had been the defending champion but suffered a shock early exit, while Federer lost in the semifinals and Rafael Nadal didn't participate due to injury.
5️⃣ of the very best from @andy_murray at @wimbledon in 2016#WimbledonRecreated pic.twitter.com/xFpVX8TgHu
— LTA (@the_LTA) July 13, 2020
That year also saw Murray reach the finals of the Australian Open and French Open, defend his Olympic singles title, win the ATP Finals and become world number one for the first time in his career. However, this success came at a cost as Murray broke down with injury in 2017 and hasn't been able to reach the same heights since.
Complete list of British men's singles champions at Wimbledon
Player | Titles won | Finals made |
William Renshaw | 7 (1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889) | 8 (1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889, 1890) |
Laurence Doherty | 5 (1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906) | 6 (1898, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906) |
Reginald Doherty | 4 (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900) | 5 (1897, 1898, 1898, 1900, 1901) |
Arthur Gore | 3 (1901, 1908, 1909) | 8 (1899, 1901, 1902, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1912) |
Fred Perry | 3 (1934, 1935, 1936) | 3 (1934, 1935, 1936) |
Wilfred Baddeley | 3 (1891, 1892, 1895) | 6 (1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896) |
Joshua Pim | 2 (1893, 1894) | 4 (1891, 1892, 1893, 1894) |
Andy Murray* | 2 (2013, 2016) | 3 (2012, 2013, 2016) |
John Hartley | 2 (1879, 1880) | 3 (1879, 1880, 1881) |
Herbert Lawford | 1 (1887) | 6 (1880, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888) |
Ernest Renshaw | 1 (1888) | 5 (1882, 1883, 1887, 1888, 1889) |
Harold Mahony | 1 (1896) | 2 (1896, 1897) |
Spencer Gore | 1 (1877) | 2 (1877, 1878) |
Wiloughby Hamilton | 1 (1890) | 1 (1890) |
Frank Haddow | 1 (1878) | 1 (1878) |
*Denotes active player
Who was the last British player to win the women's singles title at Wimbledon?
Forty-four years have now passed since a British player won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon. Virginia Wade was the last homegrown player to get her hands on the famous Rosewater Dish back in 1977, beating Betty Stove of the Netherlands in the final in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and thus earning her place in British tennis history.
In fact, Wade was the last British player to even make an appearance in the final of the women’s singles event at Wimbledon. Before Wade in 1977, Ann Jones beat Billie Jean King in the 1969 final. These are still the only two times that a British woman has won a single's title at SW19 in the Open Era of the sport.
July 1, 1977: Virginia Wade wins the women’s at the Centenary edition of #Wimbledon defeating Betty Stove of The Netherlands 46 63 61 in the final. Wade, the first British woman to win at Wimbledon since 1969, receives the gold championship plate from Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/I4yOkQKk6Z
— This Day In Tennis (@ThisDayInTennis) July 1, 2021
Chris Evert was the defending champion of the women's singles title in 1977 but lost to Wade in the semifinals, which allowed the Brit to win the third, and final, Grand Slam title of her career. To this day, Wade is still the only British woman in history to have won titles at all four major tournaments having also won a doubles title at the French Open in 1973.
Complete list of British women's singles champions at Wimbledon
Player | Titles won | Finals made |
Dorothea Chambers | 7 (1903, 1904, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914) | 11 (1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1919, 1920) |
Blanche Bingley | 6 (1886, 1889, 1894, 1897, 1899, 1900) | 13 (1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1897, 1899, 1900, 1901) |
Charlotte Cooper | 5 (1895, 1896, 1898, 1901, 1908) | 11 (1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1908, 1912) |
Lottie Dod | 5 (1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1893) | 5 (1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1893) |
Maud Watson | 2 (1884, 1885) | 3 (1884, 1885, 1886) |
Kathleen McKane Godfree | 2 (1924, 1926) | 3 (1923, 1924, 1926) |
Dorothy Round Little | 2 (1934, 1937) | 3 (1933, 1934, 1937) |
Dora Boothby | 1 (1909) | 3 (1909, 1910, 1911) |
Ethel Thomson Larcombe | 1 (1912) | 3 (1903, 1912, 1914) |
Lena Rice | 1 (1890) | 2 (1889, 1890) |
Angela Mortimer | 1 (1961) | 2 (1958, 1961) |
Ann Jones | 1 (1969) | 2 (1967, 1969) |
Muriel Robb | 1 (1902) | 1 (1902) |
Virgina Wade | 1 (1977) | 1 (1977) |