# Chapter 6: Quirky Trivia

Tennis · Chapter 6: Quirky Trivia · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/tennis/interesting-facts/chapter-6-quirky-trivia/)

Tennis's odd side: famous outbursts, a wildcard champion, a singer in the rain, the words of the game, a court in the sky and matches that ran for days.

## 6.61 Famous Moments

McEnroe's outburst, a wildcard champion, a pop star singing in the rain and the first People's Sunday.

### Test 1: Outbursts, upsets and rain

- He disputed a call confirmed by umpire Edward James, was docked a point and fined $1,500. (Source: ESPN Page 2, 'You cannot be serious' at 30 (2011); International Tennis Hall of Fame, John McEnroe)
- It was the first of his three Wimbledon singles titles. (Source: ESPN Page 2, 'You cannot be serious' at 30 (2011); International Tennis Hall of Fame, John McEnroe)
- He is the only man to win Wimbledon as a wildcard; he had lost three earlier finals there. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame, Goran Ivanisevic; Tennis Majors, 'The day Goran Ivanisevic finally won Wimbledon')
- Tickets were sold on the day, so fans without seats filled Centre Court to see Ivanisevic beat Pat Rafter 9-7 in the fifth set. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame, Goran Ivanisevic; Tennis Majors, 'The day Goran Ivanisevic finally won Wimbledon')
- He went on to sing several more of his hits, joined by players including Martina Navratilova and Virginia Wade. (Source: NationalWorld, 'When Sir Cliff Richard saved Wimbledon by singing Summer Holiday on Centre Court')
- Unreserved tickets were sold at the gate, and the day became known as 'People's Sunday'; it happened again in 1997 and 2004. (Source: Tennis Majors, 'The day Wimbledon opened its doors on Middle Sunday for the first time' (30 June 1991))
- Officials asked him to keep the crowd entertained; before the 2009 roof, rain often stopped play for hours. (Source: NationalWorld, 'When Sir Cliff Richard saved Wimbledon by singing Summer Holiday on Centre Court')
- 1981, 1991, 1996 and 2001. (Source: ESPN; Tennis Majors; NationalWorld; Hall of Fame)
- 1992, 1994, 1998 and 2001. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame, Goran Ivanisevic; Tennis Majors, 'The day Goran Ivanisevic finally won Wimbledon')
- Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Gigi Fernandez and Virginia Wade joined in. (Source: NationalWorld, 'When Sir Cliff Richard saved Wimbledon by singing Summer Holiday on Centre Court')

## 6.62 Words and Customs

Where 'Grand Slam', 'bagel' and 'tennis elbow' came from, and how Wimbledon names its women champions.

### Test 1: The game's words and old customs

- In bridge a grand slam means winning every trick; New York Times writer John Kieran applied it to tennis in 1933. (Source: Australian Open, 'Grand Slam Board' (ausopen.com); Topend Sports, 'Tennis Grand Slam history')
- Crawford won the first three but lost the US final to Fred Perry; Don Budge completed the first Grand Slam in 1938. (Source: Australian Open, 'Grand Slam Board' (ausopen.com); Topend Sports, 'Tennis Grand Slam history')
- The zero looks like a bagel; a 6-1 set is a 'breadstick'. (Source: Sky Sports, 'Know your bagel from your moonball? Tennis terminology' (2020); Western Racquet)
- Dibbs and his doubles partner Harold Solomon became 'the Bagel Twins'; the commentator Bud Collins spread the word. (Source: Sky Sports, 'Know your bagel from your moonball? Tennis terminology' (2020); Western Racquet)
- H. P. Major's letter described 'lawn-tennis elbow'; similar pain had been described in writers in 1873. (Source: Thurston, 'The early history of tennis elbow: 1873 to the 1950s', ANZ Journal of Surgery (1998))
- Chris Evert's 1981 title, won while married to John Lloyd, read 'Mrs. J. M. Lloyd'; all champions are now listed by initial and surname. (Source: AP via CBC Sports, ''Miss,' 'Mrs.' dropped from Wimbledon champion honour board' (2022); NBC Sports)
- Before then umpires said 'Miss' before a woman's surname, and from 2018 'Mrs.' for married players. (Source: AP via CBC Sports, ''Miss,' 'Mrs.' dropped from Wimbledon champion honour board' (2022); NBC Sports)
- 1883, 1933, 2019 and 2022. (Source: ANZ Journal of Surgery; Australian Open; CBC (AP))
- 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 and 7-6. (Source: Sky Sports, 'Know your bagel from your moonball? Tennis terminology' (2020); Western Racquet)
- Her other two Wimbledon titles appeared under 'C. M. Evert'; all three now read 'C. M. Evert'. (Source: AP via CBC Sports, ''Miss,' 'Mrs.' dropped from Wimbledon champion honour board' (2022); NBC Sports)

## 6.63 Odd Matches

A 112-game marathon, a court on a helipad, a default in New York and the semi-final that changed Wimbledon's rules.

### Test 1: Matches nobody forgot

- Gonzales won 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9 over two days; the record lasted until Isner and Mahut in 2010. (Source: ESPN Classic, 'Gonzales survives Wimbledon's longest match'; International Tennis Hall of Fame, Pancho Gonzales)
- He saved seven match points against Pasarell, who was 25. (Source: ESPN Classic, 'Gonzales survives Wimbledon's longest match'; International Tennis Hall of Fame, Pancho Gonzales)
- The court sat on the Burj Al Arab's helipad, about 200 metres up; strong wind put it off for a day. (Source: ATP Tour, 'ATP 50: Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and the Dubai heliport court'; Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships)
- The tournament director said it cost less than $25,000 to stage. (Source: ATP Tour, 'ATP 50: Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and the Dubai heliport court'; Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships)
- Trailing Pablo Carreno Busta 6-5, he struck a ball behind him that hit a line judge in the throat; he lost his prize money and points. (Source: ESPN, 'Novak Djokovic out of US Open after hitting line judge with ball' (2020); Olympics.com)
- Anderson won the fifth set 26-24 and then lost the final to Novak Djokovic. (Source: ESPN, 'Isner backs Wimbledon tiebreak rule change' (2018))
- The rule ran from 2019 until 2022, when all four majors agreed a 10-point tiebreak at 6-6. (Source: ESPN, 'Isner backs Wimbledon tiebreak rule change' (2018))
- 1969, 2005, 2018 and 2020. (Source: ESPN Classic; ATP Tour; ESPN)
- 5 hours 12 minutes, 6 hours 36 minutes and 11 hours 5 minutes. (Source: ESPN Classic, 'Gonzales survives Wimbledon's longest match'; Internati; ESPN, 'Isner backs Wimbledon tiebreak rule change' (2018))
- The court was laid on the hotel's helipad in Dubai; Federer and Agassi hit for the cameras and the crowds watching below. (Source: ATP Tour, 'ATP 50: Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and the Dubai heliport court'; Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships)

## 6.64 Nicknames

Pistol Pete, the Rocket, Muscles, Little Mo and others, and where the names came from.

### Test 1: What the greats were called

- The name came from his fast, accurate serve. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Pete Sampras)
- Hopman meant it as a joke, as young Laver was slow; later it fitted. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Rod Laver)
- Rosewall was quick and precise rather than powerful. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Ken Rosewall)
- Her inside-out forehand was one of the great weapons in the game. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com); International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Steffi Graf)
- He won Wimbledon at 17 serving at full power. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com); International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Boris Becker)
- His cool manner was the opposite of his rival McEnroe's. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Bjorn Borg)
- His coach Darren Cahill gave him the name of the son, Rusty Griswold. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Lleyton Hewitt)
- 1934, 1934, 1938, 1967 and 1971. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com))
- Laver 1961, Borg 1976, Becker 1985, Graf 1988 and Sampras 1993. (Source: Wimbledon.com)
- The USS Missouri was 'Big Mo'; the 1953 Grand Slam winner was 'Little Mo'. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Maureen Connolly)

## 6.65 Ball Kids

The young crews of Wimbledon and the US Open: who they are, where they come from and how they work.

### Test 1: Behind the players

- Today boys and girls work side by side on every court. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')
- Earlier ball boys had come from the Shaftesbury Homes. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')
- They move only when the point is over, so as not to distract the players. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')
- Most are 14 or 15 and serve one or two Championships. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')
- Schools in the boroughs around the club send pupils to try out. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')
- Anyone over a minimum age can try out, and some have worked there for decades. (Source: US Open official site (usopen.org), 'Ball crew')
- Players now fetch their own towels from racks or boxes. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com); Wimbledon.com)
- From the 1920s, from 1946, and from 1977. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')
- Balls are rolled along the ground, never thrown across the court. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')
- Two crouch at the net and four stand at the corners. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'Ball boys and girls')

## 6.66 Trophy Tales

A pineapple on the lid, a world champion's inscription, replicas for winners and plates for runners-up.

### Test 1: What the winners hold

- The full line names the All England Lawn Tennis Club. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'The trophies')
- The silver-gilt cup was made ten years after the first Championships. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'The trophies')
- The originals stay at the club; champions get copies about three-quarters of the size. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'The trophies')
- The ladies' runner-up also receives a plate. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'The trophies')
- The singles trophies are made in sterling silver. (Source: US Open official site (usopen.org), 'The trophies')
- It is the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen. (Source: Roland-Garros official site (rolandgarros.com))
- The Super Bowl winners receive it each February. (Source: Tiffany & Co., sports trophies (tiffany.com))
- The runner-up receives a plate first, then the champion the trophy. (Source: Wimbledon.com)
- 1887, 1899 and 2017. (Source: Wimbledon.com; daviscup.com; lavercup.com)
- Its origin is not recorded; pineapples were once a symbol of luxury and welcome. (Source: Wimbledon.com, 'The trophies')

## 6.67 Interrupted!

Bees, smoke, heat, drones and protesters: the strangest reasons play has stopped.

### Test 1: When play stopped

- Play stopped for nearly two hours while the swarm on a camera was cleared. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com) news (2023))
- She retired from her qualifying match. (Source: Australian Open official site (ausopen.com); ABC News (abc.net.au))
- Play stopped for almost an hour. (Source: US Open official site (usopen.org); AP (2023))
- Ground staff swept the court and play went on. (Source: Wimbledon.com; BBC Sport (2023))
- A teacher was arrested for flying it over the grounds; nobody was hurt. (Source: US Open official site (usopen.org); AP (2015))
- He called the conditions inhumane; temperatures passed 40°C. (Source: Australian Open official site (ausopen.com); BBC Sport (2014))
- The players laughed; Richard Krajicek then beat MaliVai Washington. (Source: Wimbledon.com)
- 1996, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2023. (Source: Wimbledon.com; Australian Open official site (ausopen.com); US Open official site (usopen.org); ATP Tour (atptour.com))
- March, July and September. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com); Wimbledon.com; US Open official site (usopen.org))
- He was cheered by the crowd and became a minor celebrity. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com) news (2023))

## 6.68 Rituals and Superstitions

Bottles in a row, lines never touched, an unshaved fortnight and the Teletubbies every morning.

### Test 1: Habits of champions

- He steps over the lines on his way to the chair. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Rafael Nadal)
- His 'Wimbledon beard' grew through each fortnight. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Bjorn Borg)
- He tried to repeat everything from the day before, as long as he kept winning. (Source: Wimbledon.com; BBC Sport (2001))
- She also bounced the ball the same number of times before each serve. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com), Serena Williams)
- Long bouncing runs have drawn the umpire's warning more than once. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Novak Djokovic)
- She hopped and shadow-swung to stay sharp before every return. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com); Wimbledon.com)
- The same quick sequence came before almost every point of his career. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Rafael Nadal)
- 1976, 2001, 2002, 2008 and 2013. (Source: Wimbledon.com)
- 1956, 1971, 1981, 1986 and 1987. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com); WTA (wtatennis.com))
- If a bottle was moved, he set it back in place before play. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Rafael Nadal)

## 6.69 Tennis Families

Sisters in major finals, brothers with Wimbledon titles, a mother who coached and a family split between tennis and golf.

### Test 1: It runs in the family

- Venus won it, under the lights in New York. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com); US Open official site (usopen.org))
- Serena took No. 1 that summer, with Venus just behind. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com), rankings history)
- His partners were Jelena Jankovic and Martina Hingis. (Source: Wimbledon.com, champions)
- Judy Murray later captained Britain's Fed Cup team. (Source: LTA (lta.org.uk); ATP Tour (atptour.com))
- Manuela, Katerina and Magdalena were coached by their mother, Yuliya Berberyan. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com); International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com))
- Karolina, the right-hander, reached world No. 1 in 2017. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com), Pliskova sisters)
- Nelly won Olympic gold in 2021; their brother Sebastian plays tennis on the ATP Tour. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Petr Korda; LPGA (lpga.com))
- 1998, 2001, 2007 and 2021. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com); Wimbledon.com; LPGA)
- 1967, 1980, 1986 and 1992. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com); ATP Tour (atptour.com))
- Venus won two: the 2001 US Open and Wimbledon 2008. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com), head-to-head)

## 6.70 Left-Handers

The lefties of tennis, from Norman Brookes to Rafael Nadal, and a champion who also won an Olympic medal on ice.

### Test 1: Playing with the left

- The Australian was also the first champion from overseas. (Source: Wimbledon.com; International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Norman Brookes)
- Her two-handed strokes on both sides were very rare at the top of the game. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com); International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Monica Seles)
- Borg, McEnroe's other great rival, was right-handed. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com))
- His left forearm was famously much bigger than his right. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Rod Laver)
- It was the first of her three major titles. (Source: WTA (wtatennis.com), Angelique Kerber)
- He won silver with Czechoslovakia at the 1948 Winter Olympics. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Jaroslav Drobny; Olympedia)
- His wide left-handed serve was one of the most feared shots of the 1990s. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Goran Ivanisevic)
- 1907, 1960, 1974, 1990 and 2005. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com); ATP Tour (atptour.com))
- One, two, three, four and nine. (Source: Wimbledon.com)
- He is right-handed off court; he grew up hitting with his left. (Source: ATP Tour (atptour.com), Rafael Nadal)

Sources: Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: ESPN, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the ATP, the Australian Open, Sky Sports, AP, Tennis Majors, the ANZ Journal of Surgery. The all-white rule, the middle Sunday from 2022, the tiebreak's invention and the Isner-Mahut record are asked elsewhere and left out; the 'a deux' story of deuce is left out because dictionaries do not support it.

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