Novak Djokovic will start the Wimbledon Grand Slam knowing that victory would move them within one triumph of the record for major singles titles.
Djokovic came close in 2023, but lost to youngster Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s singles final.
Who are they chasing? Where are they in the top 10 most prolific Wimbledon winners of all time? The Sporting News runs through the lists.
What is the Open Era in tennis?
As unthinkable as it might seem now, Wimbledon joined other majors in barring professionals until 1968 — the beginning of what is known as the Open Era that continues today.
Amateur British player William Renshaw won six successive titles between 1881 and 1886, although he only won the event after going through a full draw twice because a challenge-round format existed at the time.
Home player Fred Perry won three times through a full draw between 1934 and 1936, his record as the last British man to win the competition standing until Andy Murray prevailed in 2013.
The Open Era paved the way for the involvement of stars such as Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors at a tournament that became a huge draw for television audiences, watching British great Virginia Wade triumph in Wimbledon’s centenary of 1977.
