Virginia Wade

Infobox Tennis player
playername = Virginia Wade


nickname =
country = GBR
residence =
datebirth = birth date and age|mf=yes|1945|7|10
placebirth = Bournemouth, Dorset, England
height = 5'7" (1.70 m)
weight = 135 lbs. (61.2 kg)
turnedpro = 1968
retired = 1986
plays = Right-handed
careerprizemoney = US$1,542,278
singlesrecord = 839–329 [ [http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/players/playerprofiles/Playerbio.asp?PlayerID=230044 WTA website] ]
singlestitles = 55 [ [http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/players/playerprofiles/Playerbio.asp?PlayerID=230044 WTA website] ]
highestsinglesranking = No. 2
AustralianOpenresult = W (1972)
FrenchOpenresult = QF (1970, 1972)
Wimbledonresult = W (1977)
USOpenresult = W (1968)
doublesrecord = 42–48 [ [http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/players/playerprofiles/Playerbio.asp?PlayerID=230044 WTA website] ]
doublestitles = -
highestdoublesranking = -
AustralianOpenDoublesresult = W (1973)
FrenchOpenDoublesresult = W (1973)
WimbledonDoublesresult = F (1970)
USOpenDoublesresult = W (1973, 1975)
updated = July 6, 2008
updated = January 27, 2007

Sarah Virginia Wade (born July 10, 1945, in Bournemouth, Dorset, England) is a former professional tennis player from the United Kingdom. She won three Grand Slam singles titles and four Grand Slam doubles titles. She is particularly remembered for winning the women's singles title at Wimbledon in the tournament's centenary year on July 1, 1977, the last time a Briton has won a singles title there. Wade's victory is also memorable as it was during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee year.

Early life

Wade learned to play tennis in South Africa, where her parents moved when she was one year old. Her father was the Archdeacon of Durban. When Wade was 15, the family moved back to England and she went to Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School and Talbot Heath School. She went on to study mathematics and physics at the University of Sussex, graduating in 1966.

Tennis career

Wade's tennis career spanned the end of the amateur era and the start of the open era. In 1968 she scored two notable firsts. As an amateur, she won the inaugural open tennis competition — the British Hard Court Open at Bournemouth. She turned down the US$720 first prize. Five months later, she had become a professional and captured the women's singles title at the first US Open (and prize-money of US$6,000). She beat Billie Jean King in the final 6–4, 6–2.

Wade's second Grand Slam singles title came in 1972 at the Australian Open. She defeated Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the final 6–4, 6–4.

Wade's most notable victory came at Wimbledon in 1977. It was the 16th year in which Wade had played at Wimbledon, and she made her first appearance in the final by beating defending champion Chris Evert in a semifinal 6–2, 4–6, 6–1. In the final, she faced Betty Stöve. Not only was 1977 the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Wimbledon Championships, but it was also the 25th year of the reign (Silver Jubilee) of Queen Elizabeth II, and the Queen attended the championships for the first time in a quarter-century to watch the women's final. In the final, Wade beat Stove 4–6, 6–3, 6–1 to claim the title, nine days short of her 32nd birthday. Wade received the trophy from the Queen, and the Centre Court crowd burst into a chorus of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow!" to celebrate her triumph.

Wade also won four Grand Slam women's doubles titles partnering Margaret Court – two at the US Open, one at the Australian Open, and one at the French Open.

Wade was coached by Jerry Teeguarden, father of the professional player Pam Teeguarden.

Over her career, Wade won 55 professional singles titles and amassed US$1,542,278 in career prize money. She was ranked in the world's top-10 continuously from 1967 through 1979. Her career spanned a total of 26 years. She retired from singles at the end of 1985 and from doubles at the end of 1986.

In 1982, Wade became the first woman to be elected to the Wimbledon Committee.

In 1983, at the age of 37, she won the Italian Open women's doubles title partnered by Virginia Ruzici of Romania.

The 24 times that Wade played in the women's singles tournament at Wimbledon is an all-time record.Fact|date=June 2008

Since retiring from tennis, Wade has commentated on tennis events for the BBC.

In 1989, Wade was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Grand Slam singles finals (3)

Wins (3)

Singles titles (55)

*1968 - US Open, Bloemfontein, Bournemouth, East London, Dewar Cup-Crystal Palace
*1969 - Cape Town, Hoylake, Dewar-Perth, Dewar-Stalybridge, Dewar-Aberavon, Dewar-Crystal Palace, East London
*1970 - German Indoors, West Berlin Open, Irish Open, Stalybridge, Aberavon
*1971 - Cape Town, Catania Open, Rome, Newport-Wales, Cincinnati, Dewar-Billingham, Dewar-Aberavon, Dewar Cup Final-London, Clean Air Classic
*1972 - Australian Open, VS Indoors-Mass., Merion, Buenos Aires
*1973 - Dallas, Bournemouth, Dewar-Aberavon, Dewar-Edinburgh, Dewar-Billingham, Dewar Cup Final-Albert Hall
*1974 - VS Chicago, Bournemouth, VS Phoenix, Dewar-Edinburgh, Dewar Cup-London
*1975 - VS Dallas, VS Philadelphia, Paris Indoors, Eastbourne, Dewar Cup, Stockholm
*1976 - US Indoors, Dewar Cup
*1977 - Wimbledon, World Invitational Hilton Head, Tokyo Sillook
*1978 - Mahwah, Tokyo Sillook, Florida Open

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

See also

* Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final

References

External links

*wta|id=230044|name=Virginia Wade
* [http://www.tennisfame.com/famer.aspx?pgID=867&hof_id=113 International Tennis Hall of Fame profile]