PDJ
G.O.A.T.
4 views of the historic win.
It really is quite charming.
Part One
Did it matter that I won with a beautiful shot? Absolutely’
Four of those involved in the historic 1977 Wimbledon women’s singles final recall their memories — fond or otherwise — to Alyson Rudd
Virginia Wade — The last British woman to have won a grand-slam title, she defeated Betty Stove 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
I went to sleep the night before, visualising what it was going to be like — which is a very good way of going to sleep, by the way. This day was different from any other day. I had slept well and it was nice weather. I was playing well, but so much better rehearsed than usual so I was ready for anything.
I’m sure I ate the same breakfast and listened to the same music — Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto. You have to have a certain amount of routine.
Earlier in the tournament you get psyched when you think about who you might play in the next round but by the final there are no other rounds to worry about, which means it is important not to feel flat, which can happen. The dressing room is empty, it’s the end and people are closing down.
I practised on the Wimbledon courts and then an hour and half before the match I sat quietly on Centre Court for ten minutes to resurrect the feeling of theatre.
The Queen was coming and everyone was excited. It had been an extraordinary year with all the Silver Jubilee celebrations. Everyone was in love with the royal family and it had been drab in the 1970s so it was an occasion for the whole population to celebrate. Wimbledon felt more buoyant, so much more dramatic.
I spoke to Betty perfunctorily — you don’t want to say more than that, you just want to be polite.
Arthur Ashe had won Wimbledon two years before and he and I had the same birthday and we had won the US Open the same year in 1968 — there seemed to be a bit of destiny and tennis coincidence in our lives. He wrote me a note and in it said something like, “Get to the net and camp out there.” You needed to be up at the net volleying as much as you could. If people say something worthwhile it can really stay with you.
I wasn’t distracted by losing the first set, although I might momentarily have been uncomfortable. If you have an amazingly good first set, anything can go wrong, and if you have a terrible first set, it’s not the end of the world. I had tremendous belief that Betty couldn’t actually beat me. I had come through against her before even when behind so I knew I had the psychological edge.
The crowd was definitely one-sided and got more and more supportive to the point that she was going nuts. I broke early in the second set but she broke back. I was on a streak and from 3-3 in the second set I couldn’t do anything wrong, I was playing on the cloud.
My best performance had come two days before, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win in the semi-final against Chris Evert. Chris was so tough but had not quite hit her stride. She was definitely the best player in the world, you had to work every single point because she never missed.
Just before the winning shot of the final, I was high but in a controlled way. She placed a volley to my forehand side and I chased it and I slipped and I thought it was funny and you could see I was definitely going for it.
The winning point was a forehand down the line. Did it matter that it was a beautiful shot, that I won with a great shot? Yes it did. I’ve never actually been asked that before but I felt strongly about finishing matches with a flourish. And that could get me into trouble, aiming for something exotic. It pleases me that I ended with a winner. I ran around her second serve and crunched it.
It felt like total exhilaration and unbelievable satisfaction, finally it had come to pass. When the crowd started singing and cheering; I’d never heard anything like that and it makes you feel quite small that I was the reason for it.
Afterwards people would say, “Oh we had a day off school to watch you.” I knew there would be people stood in front of TV stores.
That evening I was with all my family and friends at a lovely Indian restaurant by Harrods. People coming up to me was a constant from then on.
After the men’s final there was a dinner, rather than a ball, so I didn’t get to dance with the wonderful Bjorn Borg.
It all goes by in a bit of a flash. You’re holding this amazing trophy and it’s so heavy that you can’t hold it up for that long. And the Queen was standing right there, so that was the ultimate moment.
WADE’S ROUTE TO WIMBLEDON GLORY
Betty Stove — The Dutch player was in the remarkable position of making all three finals at Wimbledon in 1977
I woke up feeling probably a little bit edgy. I went through everything the day before playing against Sue Barker so I knew what to expect from the crowd after the semi-final. I was also very busy with the doubles and mixed doubles. I consider myself a total player. I think I was the last player to play in three events.
There was fuss around it and it was my first time in the finals. I practised a little bit, showered and ate a little. You get your flowers and you walk on, I knew to expect that. In the changing room it was quiet, Virginia is not the sort of person to make small chit-chat anyway.
The crowd plays a big, big part when you are facing an English player. I probably did try to withdraw into myself in the changing room but you still have to go through the emotions and hear the applause when you walk on. Fortunately there were chairs for us to sit on. There did not used to be.
I was superstitious with the lines; I was a serve-and-volley player and, being 6ft, going over my head was not that easy. Whenever I left the court or finished the point I had to step over a certain line with a certain foot. If I didn’t do that I had to stay behind the baseline. I had to receive the ball from the ball girl before I stepped over the baseline.
After I won the first set I knew she had to up her game. She might think she has nothing to lose anymore so she will go for it and the crowd were behind her, so I had two opponents. It cost me so much energy getting back to 3-3 in the second set with the noise around me.
I was prepared to fight like an idiot to reach the finals but what I didn’t like, and what hurt me a lot as a runner-up, was that you got your medal and went back to your chair and that was the end of it. These days you get a plate. You need two players to make a match.
My tournament didn’t finish, I had the mixed and the doubles semi-finals to play. I went to the dressing room to shower and then did a little bit of press but not for too long because I had two other matches to play, it was a tiring night. I have no idea which came next. I won them both and then the next day I played doubles and mixed doubles finals and I lost them both.
It was heartbreaking but what was really nice was that when I came out of the clubhouse on the Saturday night, there were 150 people waiting to sing “For She’s A Jolly Good Fellow” and that uplifted me more than anything else.
The whole of 1977 was a great year for me, I reached the semi-finals of the US Open and I won the doubles and the mixed doubles there.
The photograph in my mind of that day is that you walk up with the flowers and you curtsy in front of the Queen at the beginning. I was able to walk on there and then fight for something I believe in. Now I look at my career and what I’ve done for tennis and the WTA, as a president of the players’ association, and the ITF, as a member of its committee of management, I gave back a lot and taught players like Jana Novotna, Hana Mandlikova and Kristie Boogert. I gave it my all. You have no private life, nothing, but I have no regrets.
It really is quite charming.
Part One
Did it matter that I won with a beautiful shot? Absolutely’
Four of those involved in the historic 1977 Wimbledon women’s singles final recall their memories — fond or otherwise — to Alyson Rudd
Virginia Wade — The last British woman to have won a grand-slam title, she defeated Betty Stove 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
I went to sleep the night before, visualising what it was going to be like — which is a very good way of going to sleep, by the way. This day was different from any other day. I had slept well and it was nice weather. I was playing well, but so much better rehearsed than usual so I was ready for anything.
I’m sure I ate the same breakfast and listened to the same music — Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto. You have to have a certain amount of routine.
Earlier in the tournament you get psyched when you think about who you might play in the next round but by the final there are no other rounds to worry about, which means it is important not to feel flat, which can happen. The dressing room is empty, it’s the end and people are closing down.
I practised on the Wimbledon courts and then an hour and half before the match I sat quietly on Centre Court for ten minutes to resurrect the feeling of theatre.
The Queen was coming and everyone was excited. It had been an extraordinary year with all the Silver Jubilee celebrations. Everyone was in love with the royal family and it had been drab in the 1970s so it was an occasion for the whole population to celebrate. Wimbledon felt more buoyant, so much more dramatic.
I spoke to Betty perfunctorily — you don’t want to say more than that, you just want to be polite.
Arthur Ashe had won Wimbledon two years before and he and I had the same birthday and we had won the US Open the same year in 1968 — there seemed to be a bit of destiny and tennis coincidence in our lives. He wrote me a note and in it said something like, “Get to the net and camp out there.” You needed to be up at the net volleying as much as you could. If people say something worthwhile it can really stay with you.
I wasn’t distracted by losing the first set, although I might momentarily have been uncomfortable. If you have an amazingly good first set, anything can go wrong, and if you have a terrible first set, it’s not the end of the world. I had tremendous belief that Betty couldn’t actually beat me. I had come through against her before even when behind so I knew I had the psychological edge.
The crowd was definitely one-sided and got more and more supportive to the point that she was going nuts. I broke early in the second set but she broke back. I was on a streak and from 3-3 in the second set I couldn’t do anything wrong, I was playing on the cloud.
My best performance had come two days before, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win in the semi-final against Chris Evert. Chris was so tough but had not quite hit her stride. She was definitely the best player in the world, you had to work every single point because she never missed.
Just before the winning shot of the final, I was high but in a controlled way. She placed a volley to my forehand side and I chased it and I slipped and I thought it was funny and you could see I was definitely going for it.
The winning point was a forehand down the line. Did it matter that it was a beautiful shot, that I won with a great shot? Yes it did. I’ve never actually been asked that before but I felt strongly about finishing matches with a flourish. And that could get me into trouble, aiming for something exotic. It pleases me that I ended with a winner. I ran around her second serve and crunched it.
It felt like total exhilaration and unbelievable satisfaction, finally it had come to pass. When the crowd started singing and cheering; I’d never heard anything like that and it makes you feel quite small that I was the reason for it.
Afterwards people would say, “Oh we had a day off school to watch you.” I knew there would be people stood in front of TV stores.
That evening I was with all my family and friends at a lovely Indian restaurant by Harrods. People coming up to me was a constant from then on.
After the men’s final there was a dinner, rather than a ball, so I didn’t get to dance with the wonderful Bjorn Borg.
It all goes by in a bit of a flash. You’re holding this amazing trophy and it’s so heavy that you can’t hold it up for that long. And the Queen was standing right there, so that was the ultimate moment.
WADE’S ROUTE TO WIMBLEDON GLORY
- 1st round: Beat Jo Durie (GB) 6-3, 6-2
2nd round: Beat Betsy Nagelsen (US) 6-2, 6-1
3rd round: Beat Yvonne Vermaak (SA) 6-1, 6-2
4th round: Beat Mariana Simionescu (Rom) 9-7*, 6-3
Quarter-final: Beat No 6 seed Rosie Casals (US) 7-5, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat No 1 seed Chris Evert, (US) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Final: Beat No 7 seed Betty Stove (Neth) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 - *Tie-breaks at 6-6 were not introduced at Wimbledon until 1979
Betty Stove — The Dutch player was in the remarkable position of making all three finals at Wimbledon in 1977
I woke up feeling probably a little bit edgy. I went through everything the day before playing against Sue Barker so I knew what to expect from the crowd after the semi-final. I was also very busy with the doubles and mixed doubles. I consider myself a total player. I think I was the last player to play in three events.
There was fuss around it and it was my first time in the finals. I practised a little bit, showered and ate a little. You get your flowers and you walk on, I knew to expect that. In the changing room it was quiet, Virginia is not the sort of person to make small chit-chat anyway.
The crowd plays a big, big part when you are facing an English player. I probably did try to withdraw into myself in the changing room but you still have to go through the emotions and hear the applause when you walk on. Fortunately there were chairs for us to sit on. There did not used to be.
I was superstitious with the lines; I was a serve-and-volley player and, being 6ft, going over my head was not that easy. Whenever I left the court or finished the point I had to step over a certain line with a certain foot. If I didn’t do that I had to stay behind the baseline. I had to receive the ball from the ball girl before I stepped over the baseline.
After I won the first set I knew she had to up her game. She might think she has nothing to lose anymore so she will go for it and the crowd were behind her, so I had two opponents. It cost me so much energy getting back to 3-3 in the second set with the noise around me.
I was prepared to fight like an idiot to reach the finals but what I didn’t like, and what hurt me a lot as a runner-up, was that you got your medal and went back to your chair and that was the end of it. These days you get a plate. You need two players to make a match.
My tournament didn’t finish, I had the mixed and the doubles semi-finals to play. I went to the dressing room to shower and then did a little bit of press but not for too long because I had two other matches to play, it was a tiring night. I have no idea which came next. I won them both and then the next day I played doubles and mixed doubles finals and I lost them both.
It was heartbreaking but what was really nice was that when I came out of the clubhouse on the Saturday night, there were 150 people waiting to sing “For She’s A Jolly Good Fellow” and that uplifted me more than anything else.
The whole of 1977 was a great year for me, I reached the semi-finals of the US Open and I won the doubles and the mixed doubles there.
The photograph in my mind of that day is that you walk up with the flowers and you curtsy in front of the Queen at the beginning. I was able to walk on there and then fight for something I believe in. Now I look at my career and what I’ve done for tennis and the WTA, as a president of the players’ association, and the ITF, as a member of its committee of management, I gave back a lot and taught players like Jana Novotna, Hana Mandlikova and Kristie Boogert. I gave it my all. You have no private life, nothing, but I have no regrets.
