Destiny’s child: Happy 80th, Virginia Wade

Hall of Famer Virginia Wade of Great Britain won 55 singles titles -- including the 1977 Wimbledon crown during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Take a look back at Wade's sparkling career, on the occasion of her 80th birthday on July 10th.

When it comes to clutch achievements in the annals of tennis history, few can challenge Virginia Wade’s glorious three-set triumph over Betty Stöve in the final of the ladies’ singles at Wimbledon in 1977.

Consider the circumstances: longtime British favorite Wade, a week shy of her 32nd birthday and on her 16th attempt, had finally reached the title match at her home Grand Slam. What’s more, it was the centenary year of the Championships and the entire nation was holding its breath – including Queen Elizabeth II, watching from the Royal Box during her silver jubilee celebrations.

Had they all known it would be 36 years before Andy Murray would capture the men’s title, the tension on Centre Court that day would have been even greater. In any case, the record books show that, having dispatched Chris Evert in the semifinals, Wade dropped the opening set to Stöve before snatching nine of the last 10 games for victory, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

For a largely self-taught player whose temperament wasn’t always an asset, it was a spectacular feat of focus and self-actualisation. But in many ways, none of it was a surprise. Over the course of her career – and well before sports psychology became a thing – Wade had found a way to harness her aggressive style and mercurial emotions to tremendous effect.

Reflecting on her evolution as a competitor, Wade recently told the WTA: “I finally learnt to let off steam in a non-harmful way, spending only a few seconds on the anger, and getting back to concentrating on the game. There was no time or room for excuses.”

She added: “I was athletic, dramatic and energetic. Tennis was my forte… and winning was intoxicating.”

Wade was a founding member of the WTA at London’s Gloucester Hotel in 1973 – and even left that meeting with the title of vice president – but she didn’t feel comfortable in the sport’s political fray. Rather, she played her part by winning big, and often, and taking pride in her status as a role model for women and girls in Britain and beyond.

Wimbledon marked, in fact, her third appearance in a major singles final, after the US Open in 1968 and the Australian Open in 1972. She won each of them, among 55 singles titles overall – the eighth-biggest trophy haul in the Open Era, tied with Lindsay Davenport. Another stat that has stood the test of time: Wade still places fifth with 839 singles match wins, behind only Martina Navratilova, Evert, Stefanie Graf and Serena Williams.

In short, Wade was always a contender, and when the WTA launched its rankings on November 3, 1975, she was No.2 in the world behind Evert. All up, she spent 12 years as a Top 10 player and enjoyed four Top 5 seasons after the introduction of computerized ratings.

“My career started later than is usual today, but lasted a long time, and I finally retired at almost 40,” said Wade, who won four doubles majors with Margaret Court along the way. “Luckily for me I went straight into broadcasting, which I loved, a fair amount of coaching on the tour, senior events and plenty of fun corporate events.”

In 1982, while still competing, Wade became the first woman ever appointed to the Wimbledon Committee – a reflection of the esteem in which she was held by the sport’s establishment. Her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, in 1989, was never in doubt.

As she celebrates her 80th birthday on July 10, we look back at some of Virginia Wade’s highlights:

1966: University graduate with a knack for numbers

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Born in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England in July 1945 as the youngest of four children, Wade spent most of her childhood in South Africa, where her father was the Archdeacon of Durban. She honed her skills hitting against the wall of the family home and watching a Davis Cup player train at courts nearby. Returning to the U.K. when she was 15, she went on to graduate from Sussex University in 1966 with a BSc in Mathematics and Physics, while playing tennis part time.

April 1968: Captures first event of the Open Era

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As fate would have it, the first tournament of the Open Era, the British Hard Court Open Championships, was held in the town of Wade’s birth. She prevailed in a field of mostly British players, but it was an inauspicious start to the new order in world tennis. Most of the top women had boycotted in protest at a pay ratio that favored the men, 4:1 and Wade, uncertain about the ramifications of the sport’s new rules of engagement, chose to compete as an amateur. This meant she pocketed expenses but not the £300 winner’s cheque.

September 1968: Upsets Billie Jean to win inaugural US Open

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By the time the US Open came around in 1968, most of the top players were back on deck but it was 23-year-old Wade, the No.6 seed, who blazed her way to her first Grand Slam title – defeating No.3 seed Judy Tegart, No.2 seed Ann Haydon-Jones and top seed and defending champion Billie Jean King in the final to take home the $6,000 winner’s purse.

1971: Mastering the red stuff

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Although Roland Garros would prove to be the only Grand Slam singles title to elude Wade, she enjoyed meaningful successes on the surface least suited to her game. In 1970 she defeated clay court exponent Helga Niessen Masthoff for the title in Berlin (pictured), and in 1971 she beat the classy German again to win the Italian Open. “For me to win on slow clay courts was a major achievement,” said Wade. “After Wimbledon, Rome was my favorite tournament.”

1973: Doubles domination and No.1 status

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A year after winning her second Grand Slam singles title at the 1972 Australian Open – by defeating Evonne Goolagong in the final, no less – Wade won the Australian Open doubles title with Margaret Court in 1973. The duo went on to capture three of the four majors that year, namely also at Roland Garros and the US Open (pictured). They won the US Open again in 1975, as well as the precursor to the WTA Finals, held at Los Angeles.

Wimbledon 1977: For she’s a jolly good fellow!

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Wade appeared at Wimbledon a record 26 times, including 24 years in the singles field, starting from her debut in 1964. Her singles title run, the first by a British woman since Haydon-Jones in 1969, was the strawberry on the cake – and the crowd sang in celebration. Including her doubles successes, Wade remains the only British woman to win Grand Slam titles at all four majors.

2004: Immortalized in bronze and other accolades

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Even during her playing days, Wade’s achievements were widely recognized. In 1973 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), which was elevated to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1986 and more recently, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2025 for services to lawn tennis and charity. In 1977, she received the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. And in 2004, a bronze likeness was unveiled in tribute at the All England Club.

2023: Celebrating shared legacy at WTA 50

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In 2023, Wade joined Billie Jean King and other WTA founding members as the WTA celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala event in New York. “Competing has to be the most satisfying endeavor for any young person,” she said. “To challenge yourself to be the best you can, whether you win or lose, and learning how important sportsmanship is – it’s all a test of character.”

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