A FORMER Wimbledon champion has recounted the time he was awared with a shopping voucher for winning the men’s title.
While the winner of the championship this year is set to receive £2.35 million in prize money – the winner of the men’s final in 1960 was rewarded with a £15 voucher to Lilywhites sports store.
Neale Fraser (right) won Wimbledon in 1960… And was rewarded with a £15 shopping voucher
At 90 years old he is the oldest member of the Last Eight Club
90-year-old Neale Fraser was the 1960 men’s champion and was recounting his experiences at Wimbledon at the Last Eight Club.
The Last Eight Club is an exclusive members only space which is tucked away next to centre court.
It offers memberships to men and women that have made it to either the singles quarter-final, the doubles semi-finals or the mixed doubles final.
The Australian was holding court during the lounge’s Happy Hour, which gives competitors from yesteryear the chance to recount their experiences at the All England Club.
According to the Daily Mail, Fraser told of how he beat Rod Laver in the 1960 final to win the £15 voucher.
When he went to spend the voucher in Lilywhites, which has been based at Piccadilly Circus since 1925, not only was the shop closed but the cab to get there cost more than the voucher itself.
The fare cost him £17 – leaving him in a deficit despite winning the world’s most famous tennis tournament.
The Last Eight Club is overseen by former British tennis player Jon Feaver, who played in 13 consecutive Wimbledon Championships.
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He told the Daily Mail about the origins of the club in 1986, saying: “The then Chairman, Buzzer Hadingham, came across a couple of older players who were in the queue trying to get tickets, and he didn’t think that was quite right.
” He wanted to do something for them, because without them the tournament would not be where it is today.
“Every year there are those that pass away and those that join, and at present we have got 603 who are eligible to come in.”
The exclusive club grew in prominence this year after American Chris Eubanks expressed his delight at becoming an eligible member.
Despite sitting outside the world top 100, Eubanks surged to this year’s quarter-finals – beating Stefanos Tsitsipas on the way before going out to Daniil Medvedev.
