Ann Jones

Ann Jones is a British former tennis player who won the 1969 Wimbledon singles title, becoming the first left-handed woman to win the tournament.

At 30, in her 14th consecutive Wimbledon appearance, Ann Jones became the first left-handed woman ever to win the singles title — defeating Billie Jean King in the 1969 final just months after losing finals to the same opponent at both Wimbledon and the US Championships the previous year. Originally a champion table tennis player, she switched to lawn tennis and won the British junior championships before winning the Wimbledon girls' singles title in 1956, going on to compile a career singles record of over 1,000 wins. Jones won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1961 French Championships and added a second French title in 1966, but suffered painful Grand Slam final defeats to Billie Jean King at both Wimbledon and the US Championships in 1967 — losses that she later said motivated her to fully believe she could beat King both physically and mentally. Jones's finest hour came at Wimbledon in 1969. As a 30-year-old left-hander playing in her 14th consecutive Wimbledon, she upset top seed Margaret Court in the semifinal before coming from a set down to defeat Billie Jean King in the final, becoming the first left-handed woman to win the Wimbledon singles title and earning BBC Sports Personality of the Year honours. She completed a clean sweep that fortnight, also winning the mixed doubles with Fred Stolle. Jones retired from Grand Slam singles competition shortly afterward to start a family, finishing her career with eight Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985. She later became a respected BBC tennis commentator.

Hard-driving left-handed baseliner with strong mental resilience

One of Britain's most successful post-war tennis players, later a pioneering figure in tennis broadcasting

• Wimbledon singles champion (1969)
• 2x French Championships singles champion (1961, 1966)
• 8 career Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles
• Career-high ranking of World No. 2
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year (1969)