Successful as player, coach and commentator, Brad Gilbert knows Wimbledon well.
Why I love Wimbledon: "When you're a kid and you watch Wimbledon for the first time on TV, and you see the gates of the All England Club, you hope that one day you'll be able to walk through the gates. All those years later, I still get excited when I walk through those gates.”
My advice for a fan attending Wimbledon for the first time: "Centre Court is the cathedral of our sport - it's like a baseball fan going to the Yankees Stadium. So get on Centre Court and soak up the whole experience. And get every minute out of the day - come early and stay late. And don't forget about the outside courts. That's one of the great things about this tournament - you'll be watching some match on a smaller court, and it will turn out to be great, ending 9-7 in the fifth."
Centre Court is the cathedral of our sport
My first memory of watching Wimbledon: "I can definitely remember Bjorn Borg winning Wimbledon for the first time. He had the scraggly beard."
The one player from the past I would like to play on Centre Court: "I’m not so fussed who I play, I would just like to win on that court. I played just one match on Centre Court, against John McEnroe, and I lost that."
My first memory of playing at Wimbledon: "I believe it was in 1983, and I was on Court 17."
My Wimbledon highlight: "My record at Wimbledon was pretty thin. Winning any match was good."
How I adapted my game to grass: "I wished I hadn't changed my game so much, but the grass wasn't as good then. The ball didn't bounce so high, and you panicked and thought you had to come in to net the whole time. I wish I could have played on this grass when the ball actually bounces and you can play your own game. Today's grass is much more suited to my game."
