The 1979 Wimbledon Championships was a
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
tournament that took place on the outdoor
grass court
A grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court on which the sport of tennis, originally known as "lawn tennis", is played. Grass courts are made of grasses in different compositions depending on the tournament.
Although grass c ...
s at the
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as the All England Club, based at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon, London, England, is a Gentlemen's club, private members' club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon ...
in
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon () is a district and town of Southwest London, England, southwest of the centre of London at Charing Cross; it is the main commercial centre of the London Borough of Merton. Wimbledon had a population of 68,187 in 2011 which includes ...
, United Kingdom.
The tournament ran from 25 June until 7 July. It was the 93rd staging of the
Wimbledon Championships
The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pla ...
, and the second
Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
tennis event of 1979.
This edition was the first to introduce the
tiebreak
In games and sports, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest, or a set of contests.
General operation
In matches
In some situations, the tiebreaker may consi ...
with the scores at 6–6 instead of 8–8.
Prize money
The total prize money for 1979 championships was £277,066. The winner of the men's title earned £20,000 while the women's singles champion earned £18,000.
Champions
Seniors
Men's singles
Björn Borg defeated
Roscoe Tanner, 6–7
(4–7), 6–1, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4
*It was Borg's 8th career Grand Slam title, and his 4th Wimbledon title.
Women's singles
Martina Navratilova defeated
Chris Evert Lloyd, 6–4, 6–4
*It was Navratilova's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and her 2nd (consecutive) Wimbledon title.
Men's doubles
Peter Fleming /
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beha ...
defeated
Brian Gottfried
Brian Edward Gottfried (born January 27, 1952) is a retired American tennis player who won 25 singles titles and 54 doubles titles during his professional career. He was the runner-up in singles at the 1977 French Open, won the 1975 and 1977 Fren ...
/
Raúl Ramírez, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2
Women's doubles
Billie Jean King /
Martina Navratilova defeated
Betty Stöve
Betty Flippina Stöve (born 24 June 1945) is a Dutch former professional tennis player. She is best remembered for reaching the ladies' singles final, the ladies' doubles final and the mixed doubles final during the same year at Wimbledon in 19 ...
/
Wendy Turnbull, 5–7, 6–3, 6–2
*This was King's 20th Wimbledon title overall, surpassing
Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Montague Ryan (February 5, 1892 – July 6, 1979) was an American tennis player who was born in Anaheim, California, but lived most of her adult life in the United Kingdom. Ryan won 26 Grand Slam titles, 19 in women's doubles and mi ...
's record of 19 overall titles. This record was subsequently matched by Navratilova in 2003.
Mixed doubles
Bob Hewitt /
Greer Stevens defeated
Frew McMillan /
Betty Stöve
Betty Flippina Stöve (born 24 June 1945) is a Dutch former professional tennis player. She is best remembered for reaching the ladies' singles final, the ladies' doubles final and the mixed doubles final during the same year at Wimbledon in 19 ...
, 7–5, 7–6
(9–7)
Juniors
Boys' singles
Ramesh Krishnan
Ramesh Krishnan (born 5 June 1961) is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from India. As a junior player in the late 1970s, he won the singles titles at both, Wimbledon and the French Open. He went on to reach three Grand S ...
defeated
Dave Siegler
David Jonathan Siegler (born May 31, 1961) is a former professional tennis player from the United States.
Biography
Siegler, who grew up in California, made the boys' juniors final at the 1979 Wimbledon Championships, which he lost to India's R ...
, 6–0, 6–2
Girls' singles
Mary-Lou Piatek defeated
Alycia Moulton, 6–1, 6–3
Singles seeds
Men's singles
#
Björn Borg (champion)
#
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beha ...
''(fourth round, lost to
Tim Gullikson
Timothy Ernest Gullikson (September 8, 1951 – May 3, 1996) was a tennis player and coach who was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin and grew up in Onalaska, Wisconsin in the United States.
Gullikson was Pete Sampras' coach from 1992 to 1995.
Tennis ...
)''
#
Jimmy Connors ''(semifinals, lost to
Björn Borg)''
#
Vitas Gerulaitis
Vytautas Kevin Gerulaitis (July 26, 1954 – September 17, 1994) was an American professional tennis player, known as Vitas Gerulaitis. In 1975, he won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon, partnering with Sandy Mayer. He won the men's singles ...
''(first round, lost to
Pat DuPré)''
#
Roscoe Tanner ''(final, lost to
Björn Borg)''
#
Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Vilas (; born 17 August 1952) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. Vilas was the No. 1 of the Grand Prix seasons in 1974, 1975 and 1977, and won four Grand Slam tournaments, one year-end Masters, nine Grand Prix Super Se ...
''(second round, lost to
Tim Wilkison)''
#
Arthur Ashe ''(first round, lost to
Chris Kachel)''
#
Víctor Pecci ''(third round, lost to
Brad Drewett)''
#
Brian Gottfried
Brian Edward Gottfried (born January 27, 1952) is a retired American tennis player who won 25 singles titles and 54 doubles titles during his professional career. He was the runner-up in singles at the 1977 French Open, won the 1975 and 1977 Fren ...
''(third round, lost to
Brian Teacher
Brian David Teacher (born December 23, 1954) is a former American professional male tennis player. He reached a career-high ranking World No. 7 in 1981.
Teacher is best remembered for his singles championship at the Australian Open in 1980. Hi ...
)''
#
Wojciech Fibak ''(first round, lost to
Bruce Manson
Bruce Manson (born March 20, 1956) is an American former professional tennis player. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 17 in 1981. His career high singles ranking was World No. 39, but he did, when ranked 112, defeat world n ...
)''
#
John Alexander ''(third round, lost to
Gene Mayer
Gene Mayer (born May 11, 1956) is a former tennis player from the United States who won 14 professional singles titles during his career.
Mayer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. He grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, and played tennis at Wayn ...
)''
#
José Higueras ''(second round, lost to
John Sadri
John Sadri (born September 19, 1956) is a former tennis player from the United States. Sadri, an All-American at North Carolina State, reached the finals of the 1978 men's NCAA singles championship, losing to John McEnroe in four sets.https://w ...
)''
#
Manuel Orantes ''(second round, lost to
Gilles Moretton
Gilles Moretton (born 10 February 1958) is a former professional tennis player from France. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career, he won four doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of w ...
)''
#
José Luis Clerc ''(fourth round, lost to
Roscoe Tanner)''
#
Tim Gullikson
Timothy Ernest Gullikson (September 8, 1951 – May 3, 1996) was a tennis player and coach who was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin and grew up in Onalaska, Wisconsin in the United States.
Gullikson was Pete Sampras' coach from 1992 to 1995.
Tennis ...
''(quarterfinals, lost to
Roscoe Tanner)''
#
Corrado Barazzutti ''(first round, lost to
Andrew Pattison
Andrew Pattison (born 30 January 1949) is a former South African-born Rhodesian and later Zimbabwean tennis player. His career-high ATP singles ranking was world No. 24, which he reached on 24 September 1974. Pattison won four singles tourna ...
)''
Women's singles
#
Martina Navratilova (champion)
#
Chris Evert Lloyd ''(final, lost to
Martina Navratilova)''
#
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley (née Goolagong; born 31 July 1951) is an Australian former world No. 1 tennis player. Goolagong was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s.
At the age of 19, she won the French Open singl ...
''(semifinals, lost to
Chris Evert Lloyd)''
#
Tracy Austin
Tracy Ann Austin Holt (born December 12, 1962) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. She won three Grand Slam titles: the women's singles titles at the 1979 and 1981 US Opens, and the mixed doubles title at the 1980 Wimbledon ...
''(semifinals, lost to
Martina Navratilova)''
#
Virginia Wade
Sarah Virginia Wade (born 10 July 1945) is a British former professional tennis player. She won three Major tennis singles championships and four major doubles championships, and is the only British woman in history to have won titles at all ...
''(quarterfinals, lost to
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley (née Goolagong; born 31 July 1951) is an Australian former world No. 1 tennis player. Goolagong was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s.
At the age of 19, she won the French Open singl ...
)''
#
Dianne Fromholtz
Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat (née Fromholtz; born 10 August 1956) is an Australian former professional tennis player who reached a highest singles ranking of world No. 4 in 1979.
Career
Fromholtz began playing tennis at the age of seven. She ...
''(quarterfinals, lost to
Martina Navratilova)''
#
Billie Jean King ''(quarterfinals, lost to
Tracy Austin
Tracy Ann Austin Holt (born December 12, 1962) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. She won three Grand Slam titles: the women's singles titles at the 1979 and 1981 US Opens, and the mixed doubles title at the 1980 Wimbledon ...
)''
#
Wendy Turnbull ''(quarterfinals, lost to
Chris Evert Lloyd)''
#
Kerry Reid
Kerry Melville Reid (née Melville; born 7 August 1947) is a former professional tennis player from Australia. During her 17-year career, Reid won one Grand Slam singles title and 26 other singles titles and was the runner-up in 40 singles to ...
''(fourth round, lost to
Wendy Turnbull)''
#
Virginia Ruzici ''(fourth round, lost to
Tracy Austin
Tracy Ann Austin Holt (born December 12, 1962) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. She won three Grand Slam titles: the women's singles titles at the 1979 and 1981 US Opens, and the mixed doubles title at the 1980 Wimbledon ...
)''
#
Greer Stevens ''(fourth round, lost to
Martina Navratilova)''
#
Sue Barker ''(first round, lost to
Ivanna Madruga
Ivanna Madruga (born 27 January 1961) is a retired tennis player from Argentina who played professionally in the 1980s. She also is known under the married name Ivanna Madruga-Osses.
Career
In 1980, with compatriot Adriana Villagrán, she reached ...
)''
#
Regina Maršíková ''(third round, lost to
Hana Mandlíková)''
#
Kathy Jordan ''(fourth round, lost to
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley (née Goolagong; born 31 July 1951) is an Australian former world No. 1 tennis player. Goolagong was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s.
At the age of 19, she won the French Open singl ...
)''
#
Betty Stöve
Betty Flippina Stöve (born 24 June 1945) is a Dutch former professional tennis player. She is best remembered for reaching the ladies' singles final, the ladies' doubles final and the mixed doubles final during the same year at Wimbledon in 19 ...
''(fourth round, lost to
Dianne Fromholtz
Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat (née Fromholtz; born 10 August 1956) is an Australian former professional tennis player who reached a highest singles ranking of world No. 4 in 1979.
Career
Fromholtz began playing tennis at the age of seven. She ...
)''
#
Pam Shriver ''(second round, withdrew)''
References
External links
Official Wimbledon Championships website
{{1979 in tennis
Wimbledon Championships
The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pla ...
Wimbledon Championships
The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pla ...
Wimbledon Championships
The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pla ...
Wimbledon Championships
The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pla ...