For over a decade, Virginia Wade was the British female tennis number one. The astonishing female is best known for her most famous Wimbledon win in 1977, which is often referred to as one of the most memorable moments in Wimbledon history. Virginia is an International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee and winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1977.
With an impressive tennis career that spanned over 20 years, Virginia was the first British female to win all four Grand Slam titles. In total, she won 55 single titles, including three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam double championships, thus reaching the rank of World No.2.
Since retiring from the sport in 1986, Virginia went on to work in the media as a reporter, commentator and game analyst on tennis events for the BBC and Eurosport. For a number of years she provided her knowledge and skills to others as a tennis coach. Furthermore, Virginia made history again in 1982, after becoming the first woman to be elected to the Wimbledon Committee, demonstrating how much admiration and respect she has.
As a result of her monumental contribution to the sport, Virginia was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1986 Birthday Honours.
A formidable sportsperson and history-maker, Virginia has firmly etched her name into the history books as one of the most impressive female tennis players of all time. Her dedication, motivation and skill is something that many admire, making her a fascinating individual to have feature at an event. As a leading figure in female sports, Virginia will leave guests in awe of her success, stories and wisdom, with the ability to inspire individuals of all ages.
