TENNIS in DEPTH.

Winning a Wimbledon title was a dream, as it is for any player, but there was an extra incentive for Knowles.

“I have a British passport – my mom’s British – so I’ve grown up in the tradition of Wimbledon. It was always the one tournament I wanted to win,” he revealed. “To finally have won it, it’s thrilling. To be on Centre Court, and to go up in the Royal Box and receive the trophy, it’s something that no one can ever take away from me.”

Knowles has now won all four Grand Slam tournaments, adding his first mixed doubles title to his men’s doubles titles won alongside former partner Daniel Nestor at the 2002 Australian Open, 2004 US Open and 2007 Roland Garros. He and Nestor were also finalists at Wimbledon in 2002.

The Bahamian also achieved a special milestone earlier in The Championships, playing his 1000th career doubles match – the most among active players – in the men’s doubles quarter-finals with Mahesh Bhupathi. He is only the sixth player to reach the 1000-match plateau, joining Cyril Suk (1147), Sherwood Stewart (1080), Todd Woodbridge (1042), Rick Leach (1038) and Jonas Bjorkman (1015).

“At the start of your career it’s not really something you set out to do,” said the 37-year old. “It’s unfathomable that you’ll be around that long and be that successful. I’m just playing because I still enjoy the game, and I still enjoy the challenge of trying to win matches. There’s so much competition out there and it’s changed so much since I first came on tour so it brings a whole different excitement to it.”

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