Surbiton_Trophy_Programme_2017

“I lived three miles away
from our courts and I used to
walk or run there every day.
That kept me fit.”
1949 & 1950 British champion Joan
Hughesman
Marat Safin
In the era before commercial jets, travelling to
tournaments took even longer. In the 1940s, for
example, if a British player wanted to compete in
the Australian Open, that required a five-week boat
trip.
“In 1948 I was a member of the first team to
fly the Atlantic to play in the States,” Mottram
remembers. “We left Heathrow on a Stratocruiser.
It was two hours to Gander in Ireland; 11 to Halifax
in Newfoundland; and another six and a half hours
to New York.”
Hughesman remembers how, in her day, the
Australian Champion didn’t come over to Europe
“because she couldn’t afford the boat fare”.
Media commitments
Compulsory press conferences, photo shoots,
magazine interviews, TV appearances, radio
broadcasts, websites, social media… modern
players can’t pick their noses without it
being reported worldwide.
Back in the amateur days, though,
all that was required was a quick chat
with a couple of newspaper reporters.
“Everyone would use the clubhouse
facilities so the media would just
go up to players and ask questions,”
Hughesman explains. “There were no
organised press conferences.”
To help pay his travel expenses, Tony Mottram
even became a tennis correspondent himself.
“After matches I was up ‘til midnight most nights
typing away on a portable typewriter. But you
weren’t allowed to write about a tournament
when you were still in it.”
Equipment
Modern pros regularly walk onto court with six
or eight rackets in their bag, in case of multiple
string breaks. And you can guarantee they’re being
paid handsomely to use them. Russian player
Marat Safin had such a good relationship with
his racket sponsor that they didn’t mind the fact
that he smashed almost 100 of them every year in
anger.
Compare this to the situation in the 1940s.
“Rackets were like gold dust after the War.”
Mottram remembers. “I originally had a deal
with Dunlop where they charged me £10 a season
for rackets and restrings. But once I’d played at
Wimbledon I got them free.”
Clothing
The world’s top tennis clothing manufacturers pay
millions for players to be their clothes horses. Not
surprising when you think how many hours they
appear on TV sporting logos from head to toe.
No such sponsorship back in the 1940s
when players were very much left to their
own devices. After the War, Mottram
persuaded a friend who was flying
freight to India to buy plimsolls from a
market stall there. “They were a bit too
big and really flimsy, but I used them
at Wimbledon because I didn’t have
anything else. The soles were completely
smooth – great on grass when it was dry
but if there was the slightest bit of moisture
you’d slip.”
During matches he wore his old gym vests and
shorts from his days in the RAF. “We looked a
real motley lot.”
Hughesman remembers how sports clothing
was so scarce that, early in her career, she had to
make her own.
In memory of Tony Mottram, the 1947
Wimbledon doubles finalist, who sadly
passed away last year at the age of 96.
www.LTA.org.uk/aegonsurbitontrophy @SurbitonTrophy 23