Blanche Bingley
Hillyard

The record for most appearances in a Wimbledon singles final belongs to Great Britain’s Blanche Bingley Hillyard – a staggering 13 trips. The record for time span between winning Wimbledon championships belongs to Blanche Bingley Hillyard – 14 years between her first (1886) and last (1900). There’s a pattern readily seen with Hillyard. She dominated her native event like no other player in history.

Hillyard made her Wimbledon debut as a 20-year-old in 1884 and won her first championship in 1886, defeating compatriot Maud Watson, 6–3, 6–3. Hillyard won her last championship in 1900 at age 37, establishing herself as the oldest female champion in Wimbledon history at the time. The player she defeated in the 1897, 1899, and 1900 finals, Charlotte Cooper, became the oldest female player (just shy of 38-years-old) when she won the 1908 title over Agnes Morton, 6-4, 6-4. Hillyard continued playing into her late 40s, last playing at Wimbledon in 1913 at age 48.

Her chief rival during tennis’s early days was fellow Englishwoman Lottie Dod, who defeated her in the 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, and 1893 finals.

Hillyard’s tennis exploits weren’t only reserved for Wimbledon. She won the Irish Championships in 1888, 1894, and 1897 and the German Championships over Cooper in 1897 and Muriel Robb in 1900. Impressively, she won the South of England Championships at Eastbourne – then considered a major championship – 11 times between 1885 and 1905.