Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Martina Navratilova and Back-to-Back Wimbledon Champions (Open Era)

Martina Navratilova Won Six Wimbledon Championships In A Row. Bjorn Borg And Roger Federer Won Five.

Just yesterday, Sports List of the Day posted video of John McEnroe‘s July 4th,* 1981 win over Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon, stopping Borg’s streak of five championships in a row, the all-time record on the men’s side.

Roger Federer also won five in a row, about thirty years later.

Then there’s Pete Sampras, twice, with streaks of three and four that were broken up by an unlikely (his only Grand Slam title) Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands. Krajicek beat Sampras in the quarter-finals on the way to a deserved title.

If not for that slip, Sampras would have won an astonishing eight in a row, so dominant he was during the “Sampras Era” (a fair label).

But in reality, no one can match Martina Navratilova. She holds the women’s record at six, best of all – and you can  go ahead and call the late 1970’s and all of the 1980’s the “Navratilova Era.”

Steffi Graf followed with three streaks of her own.

And check out Venus and Serena Williams who both went back-to-back, back-to-back with each other – twice!

Alas, there won’t be a repeat winner in 2014. Petra Kvitova just won the women’s side, unseating France’s Marion Bartoli, and hometown favorite Andy Murray was bounced long ago.

Follow @VinGetz

BACK-TO-BACK WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS (MEN)

*

BACK-TO-BACK WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS (WOMEN)

Photos: Getty via espn.com / murf.com / Clive Rose, PA Wire via digitalspy.com

* It was part of a vide0 look at the greatest sports moments that have occurred on the 4th of July.