They say you wait a long time and then three buses come along at once. In terms of tennis opportunities, Pat Rafter’s three consecutive Wimbledon semi-final appearances (leading to two berths in the final) seemed like the perfect vehicle for this brilliant serve and volleyer to progress into the record books as a champion on the grass. Alas, for the popular Australian he is destined to be remembered as arguably the best player never to have won Wimbledon.

The three players who blocked his path just happened to be the best of their generation, Andre Agassi (in the 1999 semi-final), Pete Sampras going for a record-breaking seventh crown (in the 2000 final) and, in the 2001 final, Goran Ivanisevic, three times a runner-up at Wimbledon and then a one-off, unseeded, wild card entry. “I was handy enough, but not consistent enough,” Rafter was later to reflect on the subject of not winning more Grand Slam titles.

The common denominator in Rafter’s three Wimbledon semi-finals between 1999 and 2001 was one formidable opponent: Andre Agassi. A measure of Rafter’s talent on the grass is that he got the better of the eight times Grand Slam champion and Olympic gold medallist in two out of three of these encounters.

In 1999, Rafter – the 1997 and 1998 US Open champion – lost in straight sets to the American at the All England Club. Roll on 12 months and the stage was set for a classic encounter between their contrasting styles: the shaven-headed Agassi with his aggressive returns and dictatorial passing shots versus the pony-tailed Rafter’s exciting serve-and-volley tactics. The Las Vegas-born player, seeded No.2, had the more prestigious Wimbledon heritage as 1992 champion and runner-up in 1999. Rafter was seeded No.12, and coming into the tournament on an upward trajectory after recovering from surgery on his right shoulder. He was also ripe to avenge his defeat at this stage the previous year. Their highly charged encounter lived up to its billing; it was entertaining with a capital E.

“Much of the tennis was of the highest quality – the best to date in the men’s singles during the tournament. It was one of the most consistently competitive and gripping semi-finals since that classic in 1977 when Bjorn Borg beat Vitas Gerulaitis,” runs the report in the Wimbledon Annual, conveying the essence of the drama. “Then, though, there were barely a handful of unforced errors from either man. This time there were infinitely more wonderful winners than extravagant mistakes although in each of the three sets Agassi lost he double-faulted at the worst possible times.”

Both players performed at an admirably high level but Rafter, always bolder and more aggressive at key moments, attacked from the net again and again and again, following up on the 80 per cent accuracy of his first serve with a string of stunning half volleys. He broke at 3-2 in the final set and held on to win a place in the final against Pete Sampras.

History lists Rafter as runner-up of both the 2000 and 2001 Wimbledon finals, but both were tightly contested. Had the first set against Sampras 6–7(10) in 2000 gone the other way in the tie-break, who knows what might have happened? The Ivanisevic final, too, was fuelled by the fact that realistically this was both players’ last chance to win a title. The presence of the Australian Test cricket team in the crowd only seemed to add to the five-set drama, which the Croat ultimately won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.

On the eve of Rafter’s retirement in 2003, those missed chances were still foremost in his mind. “I will have regrets that the Wimbledon and Davis Cup trophies are not in my cupboard, but that's sport, you win some and you lose some. However, I feel I can leave the game satisfied with my achievements, knowing that I gave it my all.” Judging by the number of fans who still believe he was the best player never to lift the trophy on Centre Court, Pat Rafter can feel very satisfied indeed.

Despite the absence of a Championships this year, there are still plenty of ways you can get into the Wimbledon spirit…

#WimbledonRecreated

Help us recreate Wimbledon from home by sending us your favourite traditions and moments on social media using the hashtag #WimbledonRecreated - and look no further than this if you’re in need of inspiration...

Play The Championships

Now’s your chance to play The Championships with our interactive game - take on seven rounds of retro tennis action and battle to become a Wimbledon champion, with prizes on offer for the top scores.

A Wish from Wimbledon

If we could grant you one wish, what would it be? Let us know here, and it might just come true!