Before we jump on to the list of Top 10 Best Wimbledon Matches of All Time, let’s first take an overview of this most celebrated tennis event. Tennis is a highly popular sport globally. Over the years, there have been numerous mind-boggling tennis matches that people loved in one way or another.
Maybe it’s because of a face-off between two popular players or due to those nerve-wracking and edge-of-the-seat thriller matches. But among all tennis tournaments, it is Wimbledon Championship which is loved and looked up as the most favorite.
If you are a fan of Tennis and especially Wimbledon, then here is a list of the top 10 most dramatic men’s and women’s tennis matches of all time in Wimbledon.
Filled with intense rivalries and high octane drama, these ten epic showdowns will certainly freshen up those decades-old memories.
Top 10 Wimbledon Tennis Matches of All Time
#10. Andy Murray- Novak Djokovic (2013)
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If you didn’t feel any electricity running through your body during this match, then you probably are made of stone. Although Murray was not the most charismatic British one, everyone had great expectations from him. There was great tension among the audience during the match as, for the last 77 years, no British man after Fred Perry’s win in 1936 has won the Wimbledon Championship.
With this huge responsibility on the shoulder, Murray put in all his effort against Djokovic. The first three sets were pretty straightforward. However, the situation continued to get tense. Despite all the efforts of Djokovic, Murray managed to defeat the world number one and top seat player in the three sets with 6-4, 7-5, and 6-4.
Both Murray and Djokovic had met previously in Grand Slam finals, where Djokovic won the title. However, the 2001 Wimbledon game came over as a game-changer while bringing the winner’s title to the British tennis star.
#9. Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer (2008)
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This Wimbledon championship is almost like the finals of 1980, which was between Borg and McEnroe, as the scenarios during both the matches are pretty similar. However, despite the similarity, the match is the greatest in the tennis championship history. The audience had a great time watching the epic show between the two players, which came with a storybook final.
Both Nadal and Federer had met for the third time in a Wimbledon final in that year. Federer almost made a hat trick of his win against Nadal, Which would have made him sixth-time titleholder of the Wimbledon Championship. But to everyone’s surpise Nadal came back with better plans.
The rain delays greatly affected the five-set match, which was then continued till the evening. After a challenging opening against Federer, Nadal finally managed to clinch the match with 9-7 of the fifth set. Federer later claimed that it was the fading light that had affected his views, but throughout the match, Nadal took the lead.
Federer was unable to convert any of the 13 breakpoints of Nadal’s ace serves. Such a great tennis match to date is still considered as epic and a memorable one for every tennis player and the audience.
#8. Venus Williams-Lindsay Davenport (2005)
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Both the tennis players were a previous title holder of the Wimbledon championship and had a similar stature. With many similarities between a two-player, it was quite challenging for the audience to determine who will win the title. However, it was clear the match would be pretty intense as both Williams and Davenport were great in the field.
The crowd was prepared to witness a great match but didn’t expect it to be such an epic competition. At the beginning of the game, William was a bit shaky, and Davenport took advantage of the situation. She won the first set at 6-5.
However, during the second set, Williams fought back to end on a tiebreaker. Davenport, after the second set, started struggling with back pain, and Williams digs in. Eventually, The fighting spirit of William helped her win the match.
However, the match took about 2 hours and 45 minutes to finish which is the longest ever women’s final to date. The changing situations during the match undoubtedly made for a great experience for the audience.
#7. Goran Ivanisevic-Pat Rafter (2001)
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After a defeat in 1992 against Agassi, Ivanisevic became the runner up twice in 1994 and 1998, both against Pete Sampras. By the year 2001, he had already become a favorite player among the crowd, but he was failing to achieve his dream with every passing year. Before the 2001 tournament, he was positioned at 125th globally and was competing as a wildcard in the Wimbledon Championship.
In fact, the odds during the 2001 match weren’t in his favor at the beginning. However, he managed to defeat the Australian player with 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7. It was a completely unexpected win that made the Wimbledon match as one of the most memorable ones. In fact, his successful win during this match made him the first wild card player to win the Wimbledon championship.
#6. Steffi Graf- Jana Novotna(1993)
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It is yet another highly popular women’s tennis match of all time. Steffi Graf, the most popular player of her time, had an easy victory against her opponent. However, the match didn’t start as expected. Novotna had the upper hand during the first set with 7-6, which stunned the crowd. But with the second set, Graf returned to her former self with 6-1.
Although Jana Novotna was just a point away from taking an unassailable lead of 5-1, the pressure was difficult to handle. Graf took advantage of the situation and fought back to win the set with 7-5. This intense tennis match to date is remembered as one of the most successful events.
#5. Stefan Edberg – Boris Becker (1990)
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Both Edberg and Becker were the greatest tennis players of their time. The rivals met during three consecutive Wimbledon finals conducted between 1988 to 1990, with each of them having the taste of previous titles. The match had a pretty intense moment with two rivals competing against each other. Becker, the defending champion, was seated at number two during the first two sets. During the initial stage, Becker lacked behind. However, he made turns during a third and fourth set and continued to retain his title.
#4. Boris Becker-Kevin Curren(1985)
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After this championship, Boris Becker and Wimbledon have been synonymous. Becker had his first championship experience at 17 when he became the youngest male player and the first German to hold the title. Besides this, Becker’s win over the American player Kevin Curren made him the youngest ever male Grand Slam singles champion.
After the championship, Becker proved he wasn’t one-hit-wonder by successfully defending Ivan Lendl in the final. The audience didn’t expect such a young player to defeat someone experienced. Still, Becker managed to surprise anyone, which help them leave a mark as a contributor to one of the best Wimbledon Championships.
#3. John McEnroe- Bjorn Borg (1981)
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The next year, the two most popular tennis players battled it out during the championship finals. Although it wasn’t dramatic like the previous year, there was still a high intense tennis match. At first, the audience thought McEnroe wouldn’t be able to break through.
But you must know his first one, among the three titles of his championship is the most memorable of all. The two sets during the match ended in a tie break. However, McEnroe dominated over Borg. It was the biggest reason why he secured four sets as Borg wasn’t able to figure a way to secure big points.
#2. Bjorn Borg- John McEnroe (1980)
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During the finals of the Wimbledon championship in 1980, two of the greatest players of that era had a heated face-off. This resulted in an epic match that the tennis lovers have witnessed. Things were going slow for Borg initially as he was defeated in the first set by 6-1.
For Bjorn Borg, the match had been super tight, but he managed to finish it with 18-16 in the fifth set. The match was super intense and had the audience in doubt as to who will win it eventually. That being said, the results of the match turned out to be surprising for everyone.
#1. Chris Evert- Martina Navratilova (1978)
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In 1978, the two best women tennis players back then met each other in the Wimbledon final. The match to this date is still considered to be one of the best of all time. During the match, Evert tried to attack early and get the upper hand, but Navratilova managed to fight back and stay strong.
After being defeated in the first set with 6-2, Martina hit back to take the second set 6-4. Evert tried her best during the next set, but she could not withstand long enough, which resulted in 7-5, making it a terrific win for Navratilova in the first-ever Grand Slam. The match came up as a terrific experience for the tennis lovers as they got to enjoy the most thrilling games in the history of the sport.
Conclusion
With all the intense and engaging games, the players at the Wimbledon championship have kept the fans and the audience involved most of the time. Yet, It is all about the drama and the unexpected turns of events that made these abovementioned matches set apart from others.
