TENNIS
Who is the oldest player ever to win Wimbledon?
Rafael Nadal has not been able to play in the last two editions at the All England Club, missing out on his chance to become the tournament’s oldest ever champion.
Rafael Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon 2022 ahead of his scheduled semi-final against Nick Kyrgios. After that came a turgid 2023, with his fall from the top 10 for the first time since 2005 ending the longest top-ten ranking streak in ATP history. He was unable to feature at the All England Club due to injury again and that meant that the then 37-year-old did not have the chance to achieve yet another record in his stellar career had he gone on to win the title: that of being the oldest player in the Open Era to win at Wimbledon. Also a no show in 2024, his time has now passed.
How old was Federer when he last won Wimbledon?
The record of the oldest champion, in either the men’s or women’s singles, is currently held by the Spaniard’s long-term rival, Roger Federer, who achieved the feat in 2017. The Swiss legend was 35 years old when he defeated Marin Cilic in straight sets in the final. That victory also marked the first time since Bjorn Borg in 1976 that any player won the singles championship without dropping a single set.
Federer is the king of grass, as he holds the most number of men’s Wimbledon titles with eight. The 2023 champion, a fresh-faced 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, will be dreaming of adding several more to his fledgling tally.
Serena Williams’ longevity
On the women’s side, it’s Serena Williams who holds the record for being the oldest player to win the Venus Rosewater Dish in the professional era. She beat Garbine Muguruza in the final in 2016, and was 34 years old when she collected her seventh Wimbledon title.
Seven trophies are impressive, but Williams is tied for number two with Steffi Graf who has the same number of Wimbledon victories. Martina Navratilova holds the record for most singles titles in the Open Era, male or female, with a haul of nine.
The only men starting the 2024 tournament who have any chance of sniffing the record are Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, who are both 37 years old, and Stan Wawrinka who is the oldest competitor this year at 39.