Wimbledon Special – Top 5 Rivalries

The singles draw for the 2015 Wimbledon Championships has been announced on Friday, and twitter has been buzzing with the possiblity of any one of the Big Five missing out on a semifinal berth. This might turn out to be Andy Murray’s toughest Wimbledon so far, he is set to meet a formidable list of opponents 4th round onwards. In particular order, Jo Wilfried-Songa, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer stand between him and the final match, but we will find out what happens once the action starts. Meanwhile, we will take you down the memory lane with a list of five famous rivalries at the All England Tennis Club, keep scrolling down.

1. Christina Evert vs Martina Navratilova (9 times)

Their on-court rivalry was matched by their friendship when they were not playing against each other. Between them, they had played 22 Grand Slam matches, and as mentioned below, 9 of them were in the Wimbledon. Evert was the reigning Women’s World Number 1 when she defeated Navratilova in the 1976 final. Navratilova came back with a much more aggressive game to win 7 of their next 8 encounters. ESPN documented their rivalry in an episode of 30for30 titled ‘Unmatched’.

2. Björn Borg vs Jim Connors (4 times)

 

A perfect example of contrasting personalities, Björn Borg was known for his ice-cold demeanor, whereas Connors was known for his volatility. In their 1^st Wimbledon final of 1977, Borg defeated Connors in a memorable 5-setter, and went on to win their next 3 encounters at the All England Club. After the 1981 semifinal victory over Connors, Borg lost the final to John McEnroe, and shocked the tennis world by retiring right after the defeat, at only 25 years of age. Borg had won the Wimbledon 5 times in a row between 1976 and 1980. Connors went on to play against much younger opponents and reached the 1991 US Open semifinal when he was 39, shortly before retiring from the pro-circuit.

3. Jim Connors vs John McEnroe (4 times)

One of the most vicious rivalries of tennis, both Jim ‘Jimbo’ Connors and John ‘Mac’ McEnroe had very similar personalities, like two time-bombs waiting to explode at each other. After meeting each other twice in the semifinals, Connors and McEnroe met in the final of Wimbledon 1982. A marathon 5-setter ensued in which the finalists got into a heated argument and had to be separated by the match officials, Connors gathered back his concentration and won the match. McEnroe got his revenge two years later with a straight-set win over Connors, in a match which lasted just 80 minutes.

4. Steffi Graf vs Gabriella Sabatini (3 times)

Gabriella Sabatini was one of the very first contemporary challengers to Steffi Graf’s reign in Women’s tennis during the late eighties, until Monica Seles came along in the early nineties. The rivalry between them became so popular that during matches, whenever Graf seemed to have the upper hand, her fans would break into a derisive chant “Oh…Oh…Oh! Gabby’s dying,” to taunt Sabatini. The most famous match between them was the 1991 Wimbledon final, in which Graf came back from 4-6 down in the final set to win it 8-6, winning the trophy. Despite being rivals, they often paired up as doubles, and went on to win the 1988 Wimbledon Ladies’ Doubles title.

5. Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal (3 times)

The post-millennial rivalry we will remember, and always expect every Wimbledon final to be like. Rafael Nadal entered Wimbledon folklore as the King of Clay, while Roger Federer was the undisputed World Number 1, and arguably the best male player to ever have graced a tennis court. Federer defeated Nadal in the 2006 and 2007 finals, and was widely expected to win it again in 2008. What followed was an epic 5-setter, which confounded tennis fans. The match was interrupted after the 1^st two sets, with Nadal leading 6-4, 6-4. Federer battled back to win the next two sets at tiebreaks. After another rain break, the match resumed under darkness, and Nadal went on to win his maiden Wimbledon title. This match prompted Wimbledon officials to introduce a retractable roof from 2009 onwards.