Tributes paid to Northampton born and bred tennis player who won junior Wimbledon in his teens
Tributes have been paid to a Northampton born and bred tennis player, who won junior Wimbledon in his teens and was a star of the sport in the 1950s and 1960s.
William ‘Billy’ Knight, who was born and bred in the town and lived in East Haddon in his later years, died on April 13 at the age of 90.
Billy was born into a sporty family and his mother, Ivy, played tennis socially at the United Tennis Club, where Billy played table tennis waiting to take his turn on the courts after the adults had finished.
The rising tennis star attended Northampton Grammar School and started entering tournaments at the age of 12, following in his older sister’s footsteps. Billy won his first title - the Bude Open - in 1951, as a teenager. He also went on to win the boys’ singles title at Wimbledon in 1953.
At the age of 16, Billy qualified for Wimbledon, losing to the second seed hours after sitting his last O-Level exam.
More of Billy’s early accolades include: winning the Australian Open junior title in 1954, winning the Scottish Championships and the Welsh Covered Court title. At one point, he was also ranked as the world’s top junior, until National Service meant he played very little for two years and someone from Australia took his top spot.
As an adult, Billy made it onto the British Davis Cup team after winning in the London Hard Court Championship in 1955. He represented Britain for nine years, won 27 matches and captained the side in the 1990s.
Between 1957 and 1964, Billy also reached the fourth round of the Wimbledon singles four times, despite having to take over the family business after his mother was killed in a car accident, which also left his father badly injured.
Billy, alongside doubles partner Yola Ramírez, won the 1959 French Open final, which was his only senior major title. He did, however, win the German International Championships and three British Hard Court titles, and he reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon Mixed, twice.
In the mid to late 1980s, the father-of-three sold the family business and began spending more time coaching tennis. In the 1990s, he was appointed Head of Men’s Tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association. He coached British players including Tim Henman, Jeremy Bates and Mark Petchey.
Following his death, the world of tennis has paid tribute to Billy.
A post on X from the LTA said: “The LTA is saddened to hear that former Great Britain Davis Cup player and Captain Bill Knight has passed away at the age of 90.
“We send our condolences to Bill's friends and family.”
Mark Petchey, who Billy coached, commented: “One of the all time greats. An absolute legend and one of the best humans you could ever wish to have known.”
Billy continued following tennis avidly until his final days and also loved gardening and helping family members with home building projects, usually involving power tools and heavy machinery.