CONCHITA MARTINEZ

Guy McCrea

Even in Wimbledon’s rich history, Conchita Martinez’s triumph in the 1994 Ladies’ Singles has to be one of The Championships’ most fascinating stories. She beat a whole host of top names, including nine-time Champion Martina Navratilova in the final. By doing so, Martinez became the first – and to date only – Spanish woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.

“Definitely winning Wimbledon was the highlight of my career,” she says. “Winning a Grand Slam is what every tennis player wants to do. But winning Wimbledon with all the history, and the challenges of the surface, it was unbelievable. Nobody expected me to win and I probably didn’t believe as much that I could do it before that.”

Martinez’s triumph was unexpected on so many levels, not least because despite the fact she reached the 1993 semi-finals, many seasoned observers still didn’t believe she had the game to win on the lawns at SW19. “If you’re going to be one of the best in the world, you have to learn to play on all surfaces. Yes, I was great on clay courts but there weren’t enough events to keep up my ranking! It was all a matter of going to Wimbledon with more of an open mind. After 1993, I started to play better. My backhand slice was good on grass and also my serve and forehand became more effective. I was going a bit more to the net. The year I won Wimbledon, I hit excellent passing shots with my backhand and returned well too.”

A look at the historical context of Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Champions in the period makes Martinez’s triumph even more noteworthy. Her 1994 success was the only year between 1982 and 1996 when a woman other than Martina Navratilova or Steffi Graf won the title. “It was a strange year. I remember Graf went out to Lori McNeil on a wet first round. Centre Court was keeping really low. Then it didn’t rain at all for the rest of the event and the court became drier and the balls bounced higher. That helped me as it gave me more time to prepare my shots, especially my forehand. It was sunny and beautiful but still I had very difficult matches. The final, but also the quarter-final against Lindsay Davenport and the semi-final against McNeil - all three sets.”

Despite her excellent run, few gave Martinez a chance in the final against Navratilova. Even at 37 years of age, the legendary left-hander was a huge favourite, hunting what would have been her 10th singles crown. But it was not to be, as Martinez produced a stunning upset. “I remembered I beat Martina in Rome on clay. Okay, it was my territory, but beating players, even if it’s a different surface, it gives you extra confidence.”

Martinez appeared remarkably calm in what was not only her first Wimbledon final, but also her maiden appearance in a Grand Slam showpiece. The Spaniard admits she was actually more anxious about the prospect of meeting a certain spectator on Centre Court that day. “I remember they asked the players at the start of the tournament, ‘Who or what do you think is missing this year at Wimbledon? I said, Princess Diana!’ And then when they told me she would be at the final and I would have to curtsy for her, I was more nervous about having to do that and meeting her than playing the match! So maybe that was a good thing.” After her 1994 Wimbledon triumph, Martinez went on to enjoy further success, reaching two more major singles finals and No.2 in the world rankings before retiring in 2006. As such, she is as well-placed as anyone to discuss potential winners of the ladies singles title this year.

“It’s very difficult to predict and very open. If the Williams sisters play, you obviously can’t rule them out. Serena is the defending champion and I hope she recovers well and can maybe do it. If not, the player I have to suggest is Kim Clijsters. She is doing unbelievable in the Grand Slams and her game is good for all surfaces. But of course there can be surprises too – look at last year with [Petra] Kvitova and [Tsvetana] Pironkova getting to the semi-finals. Many players can do well on grass.”

Nowadays, Martinez divides her time between tennis commentary for television and her role as tournament director of the WTA event held in Marbella. “It’s great for Spain to host another tennis tournament and support the women’s game. I am delighted to help with that.’”

She has also participated in the Ladies’ Invitational Doubles event at Wimbledon for the past three years. Each time Martinez returns to the All England Club, her feelings are the same. “It’s always beautiful to go back there. The grass is so green, the courts are so perfect, the flowers are lovely. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that I won the tournament, probably the most important in tennis. The people there all know you, all recognise you – it’s always very special for me.”

CONCHITA MARTINEZ