All images courtesy of Getty | 1. Suzanne Lenglen, 1932 | 2. Sue Barker, 1977 | 3. Martina Navratilova, 1978 | 4. Chris Evert, 1982 | 5. Steffi Graf, 1996 | 6. Venus Williams, 2008 | 7. Maria Sharapova, 2008 | 8. Serena Williams, 2010
As the Wimbledon Championships finally come to a close today at SW19, MOJEH.com looks back on the fashions that have shocked, astounded and enthralled the crowds on one of the most famous tennis courts in the world.
Suzanne Lenglen dominated Wimbledon, winning the championships six times to pair with her two French Open victories, all while dressed in a restrictive corset and hefty petticoat.
Sue Barker made her only semifinal appearance at Wimbledon in the summer of 1977 dressed in a prim tennis dress complete with a zip collar and floral print scalloped hem.
Martina Navratilova leads the record for the most titles won at Wimbledon with nine, spanning over a decade from 1978 to 1990. Navratilova donned a sailor inspired tennis dress featuring front button enclosures in 1978, the year of her first All England title.
Chris Evert ties her great rival Martina Navratilova with 18 grand slams. The pair traded blows a gargantuan 80 times with the American leading 43 to 37. Evert won Wimbledon on three separate occasions. In 1982 the 28-year-old Evert wore a minimal dress evocative of the clean American sportswear of the decade.
Steffi Graf , currently the most decorated singles female tennis player with 22 grand slams – including seven Wimbledon titles, wore a classic polo shirt and pleated skirt combination with blue piping during her final SW19 run in 1996.
Venus Williams has hoisted the aptly named Venus Rosewater Dish five times in her career. As the older sister of the currently unrivaled world no.1 Serena Williams, Venus has managed to carve out seven slam titles to her name. In 2008, the year she defeated her sister, Venus wore a dress of her own design by her label EleVen, featuring a crossover strap design complete with a front keyhole.
Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon at the tender age of 17 in 2004, shocking Serena Williams in a straight set victory that would prepare her for winning a future career grand slam. In 2008, the year the Russian sustained a near-career ending shoulder injury, Sharapova stepped out on centre court in a polarising tuxedo inspired outfit featuring tailored shorts, a blazer and bib pleated tank.
Serena Williams is currently the holder of all four grand slam titles, and with her win at Wimbledon this year she is just one slam away from tying Steffi Graf’s record. In 2010 the American powerhouse wore a dress inspired by strawberries and cream, complete with a girlish bolero jacket.
