- Wimbledon – which starts tomorrow – has delivered plenty of smash hits on Court Number One since it opened 100 years ago
Back in 1924, French icon Suzanne Lenglen, whose billowing pleated skirts inspired the design of the concertina roof at Roland Garros in Paris, demolished Sylvia Lumley-Ellis 6-0, 6-0 before 2,500 mild-mannered onlookers in bonnets and dress shirts (poor Lenglen later bowed out with jaundice).
And who can forget the warm Monday afternoon in 1981 when a 22-year-old John McEnroe, already nicknamed ‘Super Brat’ by British tabloids, kicked, threw and broke his racket in rage during the second set against American compatriot Tom Gullikson?
McEnroe loses his cool in his opening match in the Wimbledon sunshine, 22 June 1981
‘You cannot be serious!’ he’d bellowed at the umpire after landing a perfect ace in the first set, only for the line judge to call it out. ‘That ball was on the line!’ After being warned about his behaviour he was twice penalised a point, and was later fined, but went on to win the first of three Wimbledon singles titles.
Time spares no one: a shiny new Court Number One replaced that art deco cauldron in 1997, its first match seeing Tim Henman play Canada’s Daniel Nestor. Super Brat mellowed, too, and will again be charming millions this year for the BBC – from the media centre that sits atop the old Court Number One.
