Hot Mac and cool Chris prevail after a furious fortnight
In all of sport, there is no contest as self-consciously august as Wimbledon. Like a dowager duchess, Wimbledon walks hand in hand with a statelier past, revering its history, requiring homage to its traditions, never questioning its prerogatives. But in the 104th year of "The Championships upon the lawns of The All England Club," the unthinkable finally happened: Wimbledon came under attack. Players criticized the conduct of the tournament, fans erupted into a near riot, and a government committee challenged the privileges of the All England Club. The grande dame of tennis was, in short, told that she had become a bit tatty and changes would have to be made.
In the end, the most stunning change of all was made on Centre Court. For the first time in half a decade, Bjorn Borg was beaten at Wimbledon, and a new champion, John McEnroe, was crowned. McEnroe, whose tantrums angered the crowds and, at one point, moved officials to threaten his expulsion from the tournament, beat Borg, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4, in a tense duel that saw two sets determined by tie breakers. The only link to the past left intact was the dominance of Chris Evert Lloyd. She won her third Wimbledon title by unnerving and outplaying Hana Mandlikova, the most gifted young player in a generation, 6-2, 6-2.
Before the U.S. sweep, Wimbledon was sent reeling by press and government inquiries into British tennis. Those investigations criticized the cozy relationship between the private All England Club, which runs the Wimbledon championships, and the British Lawn Tennis Association, to which it is responsible. Despite tournament revenues of $5 million and a requirement that the All England Club help support national tennis programs, only $62,000 trickled down to train aspiring players in 1980. Even more galling, the 375 memberships in the blueblooded club, which cost only $17.50 in annual dues, were said to be worth the equivalent of $200,000 in subsidies and perks over a member's lifetime. One side benefit: a generous allotment of Centre Court tickets that could be scalped for up to $1,200 apiece before the finals. Summed up London Observer Columnist Adam Raphael: "There is no reason why the members of the All England Club should live off the backs of English tennis players."