Andy Murray becoming the first British man to win in 77 years topped a poll of Wimbledon's top 20 most memorable moments.
Other smash hits include Goran Ivanišević winning as a wildcard – beating Tim Henman in the semi-final across three days in 2001 – and John McEnroe’s infamous “You cannot be serious” rant in 1981.
Steffi Graf's 1988 victory, that was part of her Grand Slam year, and Cliff Richard performing “Singin' in the Rain” on Centre Court during a 1996 rain delay, also featured in the list.
The study of 1,000 tennis fans found over two-thirds (68%) consider Wimbledon to be the sport’s best tournament, with eight in ten following Wimbledon more than any other competition in the sport.
Fans fondly remember the longest ever tennis match (11 hours) between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in 2010, and Jana Novotná being consoled by the Duchess of Kent after losing the final in 1993.
It emerged that more than three-quarters (77%) of tennis fans think Wimbledon “has a special place in their hearts” after so many iconic events.
A spokesman for Lottoland.co.uk, which commissioned the study ahead of its Sportsbook 4:1 offer on favourites Novak Djokovic and Iga Świątek, said: “Wimbledon is the most famous date in the tennis calendar for good reason.
“As the results have shown, it is a competition full of top moments – some to do with tennis, but others that focus on the iconic atmosphere the competition brings.”
The main things people love about Wimbledon is the quality of the sport, seeing the world’s best players compete against each other, and how the nation comes together to support the British competitors.
And 17% even like celebrity spotting during the tournament – with Prince William, the Duchess of Cornwall, Tom Cruise, and David Beckham named as the famous people those polled would like to see in the crowd the most.
Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal topped the list of favourite men’s singles winners, while seven in ten supported Tim Henman when the term “Henmania” was coined for the occasion.
And Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, and Martina Navratilova were the female favourites.
Tennis fans would spend an average of £95 on tickets to the sought-after final, with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal tipped to be the winners of the men’s clash this year, and Serena Williams and Emma Raducanu for the women’s.
The spokesman from Lottoland added: “As the results show, there’s something very special about Wimbledon and its hold over the British public.
“It seems whether you’re an all-year fan of tennis or a one-time watcher, we’re all equally mesmerized by the finals each year.”
To see the odds on your favourite stars, visit here.
TOP 20 WIMBLEDON MOMENTS:
- Andy Murray becoming the first male British winner in 77 years by winning in 2013
- Goran Ivanišević winning as a wildcard, beating Tim Henman in the semi-final across three days in 2001
- John McEnroe's infamous “You cannot be serious” rant in 1981
- Pat Cash becoming the first person to climb into the trainer’s box after winning the final in 1987 – becoming a tradition for all winners ever since
- Boris Becker winning as an unseeded 17-year-old in 1985
- The epic five-set 1980 men's final between bitter rivals Björn Borg and John McEnroe, settled on a tiebreaker
- The longest ever tennis match (11 hours), between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in 2010
- Nadal finally dethroning Federer in 2008 after an epic battle
- Cliff Richard performing “Singin' in the Rain” on Centre Court during a 1996 rain delay
- People's Sunday (due to rain delays) – before the roof was added to Centre Court
- Jana Novotná being consoled by the Duchess of Kent after losing the final in 1993
- Steffi Graf's 1988 victory that was part of her Grand Slam year
- The first time the Williams sisters went head-to-head in 2000
- The huge applause for Dame Sarah Gilbert for her groundbreaking Covid-19 vaccine work, while she stood in the Royal Box in 2021
- Emma Raducanu beating Sorana Cîrstea in 2021
- Martina Navratilova finally winning her ninth Wimbledon crown in 1990
- Arthur Ashe beating Jimmy Connors in 1975
- Pete Sampras being whipped by George Bastl on Champions Court 2 in 2002
- Maria Sharapova's “tuxedo” top in 2008
- A streaker interrupts Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva’s quarter final in 2006
