Tennis champion Fred Perry backhands the ball at Kooyong, 1934
“I didn’t aspire to be a good sport, “champion” was good enough for me.”
Fred Perry (1909-1995) was an English tennis champion who won eight Grand Slam titles including Wimbledon in 1934, 1935, 1936 and the Australian Open in 1934.
Australian sports journalist Alan Trengove remarked, “When Perry walked out to play in his crisp white flannels and matching white blazer, thousands of female hearts missed a beat!”
In 1935, Fred and Dorothy defeated Harry and Nell Hopman in the Wimbledon mixed doubles, and in 1936 they won against America.
Fred started a successful sportswear brand in 1952, which continues today. Fred initially wanted a smoking pipe as the emblem as he was an enthusiastic smoker, but was talked out of it because it wouldn’t appeal to women. The familiar laurel was used instead.
Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer Fiona Collyer.