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Virginia Wade
Sarah Virginia Wade (born July 10, 1945, in Bournemouth,
England) is a former tennis player from the United Kingdom. During her career,
she won three Grand Slam singles titles and five Grand Slam doubles titles.
She is particularly remembered for winning the women's singles title at Wimbledon
in the championship's Centenary year on June 30, 1977.
Wade was born in England in 1945. She learned to play tennis
in South Africa, where her parents moved when she was one year old. When
Virginia was 15, the family moved back to England and she went to Tunbridge
Wells Girls' Grammar School. She went on to read mathematics and physics
at the University of Sussex, graduating in 1966.
Wade's tennis career spanned the end of the amateur era and
the start of the open era. In 1968 she scored two notable firsts. As an amateur
she won the inaugural tennis open competition – the British Hard Court
Open at Bournemouth. She turned down the US$720 first prize. Five months
later she had become a professional and captured the women's singles title
at the first US Open tournament (and prize-money of US$6,000). She beat Billie
Jean King in the final in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
Wade's second Grand Slam singles title came in 1972 at the
Australian Open. She defeated Evonne Goolagong in the final 6-4, 6-4.
Wade's most famous victory came at Wimbledon in 1977. It
was the 17th year in which Wade had played at Wimbledon, and she made her
her first appearance in the final by beating the defending-champion Chris
Evert in the semi-finals 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. In the final, she faced Betty Stove.
Not only was 1977 the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Wimbledon
Championships, but it was also the 25th year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth
II, and the queen attended the championships for the first time in a quarter-century
to watch the women's final. In a dramatic final, Wade beat Stove in three
sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to claim the title, nine days short of her 32nd birthday.
Wade received the trophy from her queen and the delighted Centre Court crowd
burst into a chorus of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow!" to celebrate
the British triumph.
Wade also won five Grand Slam women's doubles title partnering
Margaret Court – three at the US Open, one at the Australian Open, and
one at the French Open.
Wade was coached by Jerry Teeguarden (father of the professional
player Pam Teeguarden).
Over her career, Wade won 55 professional singles titles
amassed US$1,542,278 in career prize money. She was ranked in the world's
top-10 continuously from 1967-1979. Her career spanned a total of 26 years.
She finally retired in 1987.
In 1982, Wade became the first woman to be elected to the
Wimbledon Committee.
Since retiring from tennis, Wade has commentated on tennis
events for the BBC.
In 1989, Wade was inducted into the International Tennis
Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
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