Fred Perry

Fred Perry was a British tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles titles and was the last British man to win Wimbledon until Andy Murray in 2013.

Frederick John Perry was born on 18 May 1909 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, the son of Samuel Perry, a cotton spinner who later became a Labour Member of Parliament. The family moved to Ealing, west London, when Fred was 11. His first sporting love was table tennis, in which he became World Champion in 1929, before switching his focus to lawn tennis at 21. Perry won his first Grand Slam title at the 1933 US Championships, and over the following three years dominated the amateur game, winning eight major titles in total, including three consecutive Wimbledon championships from 1934 to 1936 without dropping a set in any of those three finals. In 1935, by winning the French Championships, he became the first player in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam across all four major tournaments. Despite his unprecedented success, Perry, from a working-class background, was viewed with disdain by the tennis establishment of his era, who considered the sport a gentleman's pursuit; his brash, confident manner further alienated him from British tennis authorities, who withheld full recognition of his achievements for decades. He turned professional in 1936, ending his amateur Grand Slam eligibility. Perry remained the last British man to win Wimbledon until Andy Murray in 2013, and the last British man to win any Grand Slam singles title until Murray's 2012 US Open triumph. A statue of Perry was erected at the All England Club in 1984, and the Fred Perry clothing brand he founded became more widely known than his playing career to later generations. He died on 2 February 1995, at age 85, in Melbourne, Australia.

Perry was known for his aggressive, attacking style of play with a devastating forehand that he hit with heavy topspin. He possessed exceptional court coverage and stamina, allowing him to outlast opponents in long rallies while maintaining his aggressive approach throughout matches.

Perry's achievements established him as Britain's greatest tennis player and his Wimbledon dominance remained unmatched by any British man for 77 years until Andy Murray's 2013 victory.

• Wimbledon 1934, 1935, 1936
• US Championships 3 times
• French Championships 1935
• Australian Championships 1934
• four-time Davis Cup champion with Great Britain