Photo by Wikimedia Commons, CC by 2.0
Sure, Wimbledon is technically one of four Grand Slams. But let’s be honest – nothing else in tennis comes close to its prestige.
The hallowed grass of the All England Club has stood witness to many epic battles over the years, so shortlisting 10 of the greatest Wimbledon finals of all time was no easy task. We had to leave out matches that would be career-defining moments anywhere else, but here’s our top 10.
10. Pat Rafter v Pete Sampras (2000)
The Wimbledon 2000 final had everything you could think of in a perfect final. Rain delays, high drama, and history in the making – the battle between Pat Rafter and Pete Sampras ticked all the right boxes.
This match nearly had a different ending. Sampras gifted Rafter the first-set tiebreak with a pair of nervous double faults. Then Rafter returned the favor: he was up 4-1 in the second-set tiebreak and somehow let Sampras back in.
Pistol Pete broke Roy Emerson’s 33-year-old record with the win as it was his 13th career Grand Slam title.
9. Virginia Wade vs Betty Stove (1977)
Next up in our greatest Wimbledon finals discussion is the 1977 women’s title decider between Virginia Wade and Betty Stove.
The match looked bleak for Wade after dropping the first set 6-4 to Stove. She refused to fold, however, and clawed back to win the next two sets. It gave her first Wimbledon title and her third Grand Slam – which would be her last.
Wade gave British tennis something it still hasn’t repeated – a women’s Grand Slam champion at home. She’s still the last one, decades later. The cherry on top? It happened during Wimbledon’s 100th birthday and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
8. Maria Sharapova vs Serena Williams (2004)
It was Maria Sharapova vs Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon’s women’s singles final. Sharapova was a 17-year-old player, who just had her breakthrough Grand Slam campaign. But tennis betting online platforms did not see her as a fitting match for Williams, who was the reigning World No.1 with two Wimbledon titles under her belt.
It was Sharapova’s second match against Williams after losing to her at the Miami Masters earlier that year.
She caught Williams by surprise with an aggressive start and held on the momentum until the end to win the match with a set to spare. This is one of the biggest upset stories tennis has ever seen.
7. Venus Williams vs Lindsay Davenport (2005)
The eldest of the Williams sisters, Venus, also featured in one of the greatest Wimbledon finals ever. She beat then-World No.1 Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 final, despite losing the final set.
The match clocked two hours and 45 minutes when Williams won. It remains the longest women’s singles final ever played at Wimbledon.
Davenport needed only one point to close out the match in the deciding set. Williams had other ideas though, and went on a late charge to turn around the match.
6. Boris Becker v Kevin Curren (1985)
One final. Two completely different legacies.
At 17 and unseeded, Becker won Wimbledon and launched himself into tennis royalty. Curren, the eighth seed and prohibitive favourite, let his moment slip away and never recovered. The American never reached another major final.
Becker’s route was anything but clean. His grandfather died on the eve of the tournament, though his family kept it from him – a decision that, by his own admission, kept him mentally sharp.
He’d navigated injury problems and fought back from deficits along the way. Serving for the title, he faltered briefly, a dangerous wobble threatening to derail everything. Then his serve – the demolition tool that had carried him all fortnight – closed it out.
5. Martina Navratilova vs Christine Evert (1978)
Martina Navratilova started her journey to super-stardom with this win. Christine Evert seemed to be in control of the match early on. Navratilova couldn’t cope with the pressure and intensity at first. Though, she did grow into the game.
The Czech-American’s resurgence caught Evert by surprise, and she took full advantage of it. Navratilova went on to claim 12 of the last 13 points to win the match, and take the Wimbledon trophy home for the first time.
4. Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer (2019)
Another marathon that deserves a greatest Wimbledon final shoutout. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic couldn’t be separated after five sets in the 2019 final. So, the final went into a tie-breaker – a historic first in Wimbledon finals.
That’s where time caught up with Federer. His body gave out. Djokovic, six years his junior, finished the job and claimed the trophy – but only after the Swiss had two match points.
3. Steffi Graf vs Martina Navratilova (1988)
For six summers running, Navratilova ruled Wimbledon’s grass with unshakable grace. In 1988, she stood one win away from an unprecedented seventh straight title. Then along came Steffi Graf.
The German prodigy, beaten in the previous year’s final, turned the script on its head, recovering from a set down to outplay her idol and capture her first crown in what felt like a passing of the torch.
2. Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray (2013)
Andy Murray saw off Djokovic in straight sets to end Britain’s agonising 77-year wait for a men’s Wimbledon’s crown – but not without a few scares in the end.
Murray squandered three match points before finally converting his fourth chance, closing out a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 win for his second major.
1. Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal (2008)
Star power? Tick. World-class tennis? Absolutely. Edge-of-your-seat tension? In spades. The Federer-Nadal trilogy’s final act delivered on every front.
The world’s top two players faced off once again, with 22-year-old Rafael Nadal desperate to end Federer’s five-year Wimbledon dominance after falling short in the previous two finals.
After nearly seven hours of play, interrupted repeatedly by rain, Nadal finally dethroned the Swiss king in what was undeniably the best Wimbledon final in history.
