When five Wimbledon titles in one weekend changed British tennis

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Sport InsightWhen five Wimbledon titles in one weekend changed British tennisPublished55 minutes agoImage source, Getty ImagesBySonia OxleyBBC SportIt was July 2016. We had just been to the polls over Brexit. Leicester City were Premier League champions.

England held the Ashes. And on the grass courts of Wimbledon, British tennis was at its peak. Home players had won a record five of that year's prizes at the All England Club – and few will forget Andy Murray kissing, hugging and lifting the golden men's singles trophy for a second time.

The Details

Murray - now Sir Andy - will return to SW19 this week in the coaching box, working with Jack Draper, one of the many British players in this year's draw who were inspired by his exploits on that day. A decade on, we revisit the greatest weekend in British tennis through the eyes of those who were there. Court 17 (play starts 11:00 BST)Three hours before Murray's final started on Centre Court fans packed into a small outside court to watch the very first wheelchair singles final.

That court has just 276 seats but there were many more people peering over from the top of the neighbouring one as Gordon Reid took on Sweden's Paralympic champion Stefan Olsson. Reid, who had won the wheelchair doubles title with Alfie Hewett the previous day for the first of the 24 Grand Slam titles they have now won together, remembers there was "a real positivity and a real buzz around the British players that weekend". He'd had to move hotels the previous night because of a party next door.

A sleepless night averted, he went on to win 6-1 6-4. The champagne flowed. Mainly all over him as his friends and family drenched him as he made his way to the media centre after the match.

What Experts Say

And there were soon more celebrations as Jordanne Whiley became the second Briton to win that day when she and Yui Kamiji won their third consecutive Wimbledon women's wheelchair doubles title. At this point Murray was in the early stages of his final on Centre Court. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Gordon Reid has now won 30 Grand Slam titles Centre Court (play starts 14:00 BST) Figure caption, 'Wimbledon champion again' - relive Murray's 2016 triumphMurray reckons his memory of some of his tennis matches and tournaments is getting a little hazy.

Not this one, though. He's watched championship point "a few times" since. In an era where many of his Grand Slam title attempts had been thwarted by Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, he had found himself in the less familiar position of being favourite in a major final.

Federer had been stunned by Milos Raonic in the semi-finals, while Djokovic had suffered a shock third-round defeat and Nadal was absent through injury. But on top of this or even regardless of this, Murray was in phenomenal form. He had dropped only two sets on his way to the final and had been runner-up at the two other Grand Slams so far that year, as well as winning Queen's and the Italian Open.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.