Every now and then the trivial charm of sport can offer the perfect escape from reality. In July 2016, across seven matches at Wimbledon, Andy Murray provided the best of distractions, uniting a nation divided by a vote. In the fifth and final episode of the opening season of Join The Story, we look at how a gangly teenager from Dunblane, Scotland captured the hearts of the British public and how his legacy now stretches far beyond his remarkable tennis achievements.  Join the conversation across social media using #JoinTheStory. With thanks to Judy Murray, Jamie Murray, Roy Erskine, Shirley Erskine, Courtney Nguyen, Russell Fuller, Stuart Fraser, Simon Briggs, Mark Petchey, John Barrett, Ruth Davidson MSP, Anne McElvoy, Lorraine Slabbert, the people of Dunblane, Gregor and Katie from Dunblane Primary School and Siminn TV.

Wimbledon - Join The Story

5: More Than A Tennis Player

When Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe met in the 1980 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Singles Final, they contested a match heard around the globe. From the thousands cramped inside Centre Court to a lone figure hunched over a radio in a prison cell on Robben Island, sports fans in all corners of the world were gripped. Then again, this was so much more than a tennis match. It was a clash of cultures, personalities and styles on a stage fit for two kings. In our latest episode, we explore tennis' original fire and ice and the very society their rivalry was reflecting. Join the conversation across social media using #JoinTheStory. With many thanks to Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Ingrid Lofdahl, Steve Tignor, Mary Carillo, Tim Adams, Anne McElvoy, Peter Fleming, Bob Kain, John Barrett and Simon Chadwick.

4: When Cultures Collide

When Boris Becker and Steffi Graf swept the Wimbledon singles titles on an historic July day in 1989, millions of Germans west and east of the Berlin Wall were glued to their television and radio sets. A few months later, Germany came together for very different reasons with the fall of the Wall. This is a tale of opportunity, restrictions and hope, and how sport has a unique way of bringing people together. Join the conversation across social media using #JoinTheStory. With many thanks to Boris Becker, Paul Zimmer, Anne McElvoy, Jens-Peter Hecht, Martina Navratilova, Sebastian Fitzek, Rennae Stubbs, Zina Garrison and Simon Chadwick.

3: Doppel Deutschland

In one remarkable summer, Billie Jean King reshaped the future of not just women’s tennis but women’s sport. A champion on the court, her career coincided with the revival of feminism and they went hand in hand. This was never more evident than in 1973 when in between forming the Women’s Tennis Association and beating Bobby Riggs in the Battle of The Sexes, she became the first and only player in the Open Era to win Wimbledon’s Triple Crown.  Join the conversation across social media using #JoinTheStory. With many thanks to Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Judy Dalton, Ingrid Lofdahl, Mary Carillo, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Zina Garrison, Susan Ware and Grace Lichtenstein.

2: Game Changer

The best sports story you’ve never heard? The remarkable Althea Gibson broke tennis' colour barrier in the 1950s, overcoming endless obstacles before reaching the pinnacle of the sport when she became the first black player to win Wimbledon in 1957. With help from Venus Williams and some of Althea's closest friends, we relive the remarkable life of a player who changed the course of tennis history. Join the conversation across social media using #JoinTheStory. With many thanks to Venus Williams, Angela Buxton, Lenny Simpson, Rex Miller, Zina Garrison, Rosie Casals, Document Records and NYC Municipal Archives.

1: The Forgotten Pioneer

We're pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new podcast series, produced by The Championships at Wimbledon. From 24 June 2019, we will bring you some extraordinary Wimbledon achievements, across five original audio documentaries, set against a backdrop of social, political and cultural change. Whether you're a tennis fan, a sport enthusiast or simply interested in captivating stories, this may just be the podcast for you.

Introducing Join The Story

Welcome to Join The Story, an official podcast brought to you by The Championships at Wimbledon. Our story began in 1877, and our greatest moments have shared space with the greatest of world events. Across five episodes we will bring to you some extraordinary Wimbledon achievements set to the backdrop of the times they occurred. With the help of more than 50 different voices, we shine a light on Althea Gibson breaking tennis' colour barrier; Billie Jean King shaping the future of women’s sport in one remarkable summer; Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe captivating the very society their rivalry was reflecting; Boris Becker and Steffi Graf giving Germany a sporting day to remember in a year their country will never forget; and finally, to Andy Murray, the man from Dunblane who united a nation divided by a vote in 2016. Enjoy.

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Wimbledon - Join The Story

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