The 1971 Wimbledon Championships was the 85th edition of the Wimbledon Championships, held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London from 21 June to 3 July 1971. It was historically significant as the first Wimbledon tournament to introduce the tiebreak system. John Newcombe won the men's singles title, defeating Stan Smith in five sets, while 19-year-old Evonne Goolagong won the women's singles title, defeating defending champion Margaret Court.
The 1971 Wimbledon Championships introduced the tiebreak system for the first time at Wimbledon. The tiebreak was played when a set reached 8-8, providing a structured conclusion to sets that might otherwise extend indefinitely. This innovation was designed to prevent excessively long matches.
The 1971 Wimbledon Championships commenced on 21 June 1971 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London. The tournament featured 128 players in the men's singles draw and 64 players in the women's singles draw.
The fourth round (Round of 16) matches began as the tournament entered its second week. Defending men's champion John Newcombe and top women's seed Margaret Court both advanced to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal matches were contested at the All England Club. In the men's draw, John Newcombe and Stan Smith both won their quarterfinal matches to advance to the semifinals. In the women's draw, Evonne Goolagong and defending champion Margaret Court continued their campaigns toward the final.
The semifinal matches took place on Centre Court. John Newcombe and Stan Smith won their respective men's semifinals to set up the men's singles final. Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court won their women's semifinal matches, setting up a final between the young Australian and the defending champion.
Nineteen-year-old Evonne Goolagong defeated defending champion Margaret Court 6-4, 6-1 to win her first Wimbledon women's singles title. Goolagong, an Aboriginal Australian, became the first Indigenous woman to win a Wimbledon singles championship, marking a historic moment in tennis history.
John Newcombe defeated Stan Smith in five sets to win the men's singles title, successfully defending his 1970 Wimbledon championship. The victory marked Newcombe's second Wimbledon singles title and cemented his status as one of the era's dominant players.