Nicknamed ‘Big Bill’, Bill Tilden was the world number one for six
consecutive years, from 1920 to 1925. Tilden won 15 major singles titles – and
10 grand slams. He was the first American to win Wimbledon, having defeated
Australia’s Gerald Patterson across four sets in the final. A prolific career
brought Tilden 138 tournament victories in 192 attempts between 1912 and 1930.
A man of substantial wealth, Tilden spent a large sum on financing Broadway
shows, which he also wrote, produced and starred in. He coach Germany in the
1937 Davis Cup, shortly after his retirement – and was inducted into the
International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1959, six years after his death at the age
of 60.