Ranking the 10 Greatest Wimbledon Finals of All Time

Wimbledon tennis tournament comes as the oldest and most popular tennis tournament in the history of the sport. As we look through the 10 Greatest Wimbledon Finals of All Time, we must first take a sneak peek into its glorious history and background.

To this day, Wimbledon is the only grand slam that gets played on the grass court. Besides, it’s the only tennis event that has retained its age-old traditions, rules, and even the surface. The absolute white dress code, rarely visible advertisements, and the prestigious royal box further add more glitters to its exclusivity.

The tournament found its first edition in 1877. Ever since then, it has witnessed some of the best tennis superstars bringing their most breathtaking battles and memorable moments to play. That said, let’s jump on to our list containing the 10 Greatest Wimbledon Finals of All Time.

#10. Arthur Ashe v Jimmy Connors (1975)

Very few tennis fans are aware of the fact that the famous court in the US Open is named after the American legendary player Arthur Ashe. Discussing this match, he turned out to be the first black player to put his hands on the prestigious Wimbledon title by defeating Jimmy Connors 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in an all-American final.

Every tennis fan and expert mostly put their bets on defending champion Jimmy Connors for this match. Ashe, who stepped into this event as a sixth-seeded player, didn’t beat  Connors before in his career. Yet, even while being the senior to Connors(due to his nine years age difference), he didn’t show a hint of fatigue and hopelessness in this epic clash.

Ashe claimed the first two sets quite convincingly. Connors then jumped back while winning the third set in a hard-fought battle. Yet, there’s nothing stopping Arthur that day who claimed the fifth set 6-4 and won his maiden Wimbledon title on a bright and sunny day.

#9. Margaret Court v Billie Jean King (1970)

There were few very special things about this contest to be mentioned. To begin with, it became the first-ever Wimbledon match to broadcast in color. Secondly, it turned out to be the most closely contested match in the history of the Wimbledon women’s championship.

The match started with some high octane drama from both ends. While the court did start convincingly, the king came as a perfect match to all of her backhand volleys and ground shots. Margaret Court required just seven match points to claim the Wimbledon title 14-12, 11-9 and to this day, the match stands as the longest-running women’s Wimbledon final in terms of games played.

Court didn’t just stop with her impeccable game and right after this win, she won the US open to finish up with the calendar year Grand Slam.

#8. Steffi Graf v Martina Navratilova (1988)

This match can certainly be quoted as one of the most anticipated clashes between two of the most followed women tennis superstars in that era.

German tennis star Steffi Graf came over as the No.1 seed player into this match. Besides, she was up against six-time defending champion Navratilova, who claimed victory against her in the previous year’s final.

Navratilova took the first set home after getting through numerous twists and turns.Still, that was it from her side in the match as the German claimed the rest of the sets and the match 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

Luckily, The year turned out to be the best one for Graff, besides completing the calendar grand slam, she also won the Olympic Gold that year. The achievement got deemed as the Golden slam and she still stands as the only player to date to grab that achievement.

#7. Björn Borg v John McEnroe (1980)

You don’t need an introduction to understand the rivalry between two of the all-time greats of Men’s tennis. Borg came up as the No.1 seed while featuring in his fifth straight final despite being only 24 years old. And yes, he already won the competition 4 times prior to this.

McEnroe, on the other side, got featured in his first-ever Wimbledon final. The USP of this match came out to be the fourth set tiebreaker that still stands as one of the best tennis moments of the 20th century.

The set lasted 22 minutes and witnessed 34 points shared between both the legend players. Even though McEnroe saved five championship points, Borg eventually claimed the championship 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6.

#6. Stefan Edberg v Boris Becker (1990)

Not many people know but these two legendary tennis stars met in three consecutive Wimbledon finals from 1988 to 1990. Besides, they stood at one title apiece before this clash. While Boris Becker stepped into this match as the defending champion, Edberg entered the clash as the 3^rd seed player.

The match started on a dull note with Edberg claiming the first two sets. Yet, it was Boris becker who made a remarkable comeback in the third and fourth sets. Right when Becker looked all set to retain his title, Edberg came up with something special and won the match  6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4.

#5. Jana Novotna v Nathalie Tauziat (1998)

Jana Novotna found herself in the list of best women tennis superstars in the late 90s. Besides being a sublime payer, she was known for her ‘never give up’ approach and attitude during each of her matches. For the record, this match came over as Novotna’s third appearance in the Wimbledon final.

Prior to this, she did defeat the likes of Venus Williams in the quarter-final and Martina Hingis in the semis. Discussing this match, not everything went in the favor of this seasoned campaigner from Czechoslovakia. Yet, she overcame every hurdle and gone past her  French opponent in a match that lasted for five sets.

#4. Marion Bartoli v Sabine Lisicki (2013)

Marion Bartoli is probably the most undermined women tennis player in the history of the sport. Time and again, she has come up with some breathtaking performances, without even getting the spotlight she deserved.

As far as this match is concerned, it appeared to be her 47th grand slam. Such was her dominance in the match that she didn’t lose a single set during her title win against Lisicki.

As she claimed the victory 6-1,6-4, she further becomes the first player in history to win the title while playing with a two-handed forehand and backhand.  Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Bartoli announced her retirement from sport just two months later.

#3. Venus Williams v Lindsay Davenport (2005)

When the likes of Venus Williams and Lindsay davenport go up against each other, fans can expect a lot of tension and drama in the court.Besides, this was the time when the dominance of the Williams sisters was on another level.

Venus stepped into this clash after defeating his younger sister Serena. Moreover, with the kind of form she possessed, it took her no time to overcome the threat posed by defending champion Davenport.

Venus did miss the first half of that year due to injury. Yet, she compensated for the same absence by winning 35 consecutive matches, which further included her best moment in her career, winning the first ever Grand Slam Championship.

The light was still shining upon the Williams sisters, They also won the doubles title in the same championship.

#2. Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal (2008)

The rivalry between Nadal and Federer is simply next level. Whenever these two legends meet, the tempo and drama surpass every limit. Speaking of this very match, it can be enlisted as one of the most spectacular matches of all time.

While Nadal was looking to claim his first Wimbledon title, Federer was going on the peak of his celebrated tennis career. The match witnessed a rain delay, yet Nadal scorched into the lead while taking the first two sets 6-4, 6-4.

Just when everyone wrote off Federer from the match, he made an extraordinary comeback by winning the next two sets. With both players standing two sets apiece, it all went down to the fifth and final set.

Talking of the fifth set, it appeared to be the best or probably the greatest battles on the tennis court witnessed by the tennis fans.

With a lot of breath taking shots and tough fight, Nadal won the championship defeating the number one star Roger Federer. Surely this match would be remembered for its high octane drama and edge-of-the-seat thrill.

#1. Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic (2013)

If there’s any Wimbledon final that deserves to be on the top of our list of 10 Greatest Wimbledon Finals of All Time. Besides bringing a British player to win the Wimbledon title after 77 years, this match included all the drama and action tennis fans can ever wish for.

Both the players entered into this clash being the world number one and world number two players respectively. Although everyone expected Djokovic to win this juicy clash without much fuss, Murray brought his best game to claim the match in straight sets.

With this match, Murray emerged as one of the most talented youngsters in the tennis circuit and went on to winning the Olympic gold of tennis the same year.

Conclusion

The list includes some of the most epic clashes between the best tennis superstars across the globe. You can leave your comments down below to let us know about your favourite memory from this prestigious tennis event.