Novak Djokovic can become the oldest Wimbledon singles champion of the modern era and also win the joint-record number of titles at SW19 in 2023.
The Serb, who is the defending men’s singles champion, won his first-round match on Monday. He is bidding to make history by winning the title again on July 16.
There have been countless records set at 135 previous Championships since they were first played in 1877. Here are some of the most amazing statistics:
Who has won the most Wimbledon singles titles?
Swiss master Roger Federer has won eight Wimbledon titles, a men’s record, one more than the US’s Pete Sampras did between 1993 and 2000. Like Sampras, Britain’s William Renshaw also won seven singles titles (1881-1886 and 1889), albeit in tennis’ amateur era.
Renshaw’s successes, however, came within the challenge-round format. He won the event only twice after going through a complete draw.
Djokovic also has seven titles to his name, joining Sampras as the men’s record-holder for the modern era.
Czech-born American Martina Navratilova is the outright leader, however, after winning nine ladies’ singles titles between 1978 and 1990. She could have won a 10th after reaching the 1994 final (Spain’s Conchita Martinez beat her) and was still winning singles matches at SW19 as late as 2004.
Who were the oldest and youngest Wimbledon singles champions?
Britain’s Arthur Gore was 41 when he won the men’s singles in the amateur era in 1909. Fast forward to the modern era and Roger Federer was 35 when he won his final singles title in 2017.
Novak Djokovic, 36, could take that record if he wins his eighth title this year.
Britain’s Charlotte Cooper Sterry was 37 when she set the record as the oldest women’s singles winner in 1908. But in the open era (which began in 1968 and allowed all players, amateur or professional, to compete at the four Grand Slam events), American legend Serena Williams reigns supreme. She was 34 when she won her seventh and final Wimbledon singles title in 2016.
As for Wimbledon’s youngest singles champion, Germany’s Boris Becker holds the men’s record. He was only 17 when he won the first of his three titles in 1985.
Martina Hingis was a year younger when she won the women’s title in 1997. The Swiss therefore has the honour of being the youngest overall Wimbledon singles champion.
What was the longest match at Wimbledon?
In 2010, American John Isner and France’s Nicolas Mahut played a match for the ages that lasted 11 hours and five minutes — and that was just the time spent on court.
Isner won 70-68 in an epic fifth set after finally breaking Mahut’s serve after three days of play.
It is by some distance the longest tennis match of all time. It will not be repeated, either, as a tie-break now takes place at 12 games all in a fifth set.
When was a ‘golden set’ won at Wimbledon?
A ‘golden set’ is a set won without losing a single point. This means scoring the 24 minimum points required to win the set 6–0, without conceding any points.
Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova achieved this feat when she won 24 consecutive points to down Italy’s Sara Errani in the women’s singles third round in 2012.
This was the only golden set in grand slam history and one of only 16 in tennis since 1910.
What was the shortest Wimbledon singles final?
French great Suzanne Lenglen dispatched Norwegian-American Molla Mallory 6–2, 6–0 in only 23 minutes to win the 1922 women’s singles final. Men need to win one more set than women and in 1881, William Renshaw only took 36 minutes to win the final. He beat Britain’s John Hartley 6-0, 6-1, 6-1.
It was only a first round match but in 2019, France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat a lacklustre Bernard Tomic 6–2, 6–1, 6–4 in 58 minutes. The Australian was later docked £45,000 — his entire prize money — after the All England Club ruled that he “did not perform to the required professional standard”.
What was the fastest serve at Wimbledon?
The big-serving American Taylor Dent smashed down a 148mph ace in 2010 to set the record. However, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios clocked an incredible 143mph for a second serve in 2019.
Serena Williams produced a 129mph serve in 2008 to set the women’s record.
Biggest upset
There is no definitive way of proving this one. However, there are some results commonly included in top-10 lists based on both players’ rankings and previous form.
Switzerland’s George Bastl was ranked 145 when he beat world number six and seven-time champion Pete Sampras in the second round in 2002. The latter would win the US Open that year before retiring.
Spain’s two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal was the loser in two of the greatest shocks. Lukas Rosol, the Czech world number 100 at the time, beat him in the first round in 2012. A year later, Belgium’s world number 135 Steve Darcis did likewise.
Martina Hingis was number one seed when she lost to Australia’s Jelena Dokic, ranked 129 in the world, in the first round in 1999.
Serena Williams was the five-time champion and on a 34-match winning streak when Sabine Lisicki ended this in the fourth round in 2013. The German would reach the final but lose to France’s Marion Bartoli.
Who was the Wimbledon singles champion with the lowest world ranking?
Venus Williams was only 31st in the world when she blew away the competition to win in 2007. She later said she wqas motivated by her detractors.
Goran Ivanisevic was ranked 125th in the world when he won Wimbledon (his only Grand Slam triumph) in 2001 after being given a wildcard entry. He is the only player to win a Wimbledon singles title as a wildcard.
The Croat had lost three previous finals at SW19 in 1992, 1994 and 1998.
