Men who made the most of their debut at Wimbledon

Making a first appearance at Wimbledon, the sport’s most prestigious event, is something every tennis player remembers—and it can also be a nerve-filled occasion, too. After all, it’s arguably the most prestigious event in the sport.

Every now and then, though, a first appearance can stretch out a little longer and last until the latter stages of the fortnight.

Here’s a look at some of the men that have had a debut to remember at the third major of the year. (Photos: Getty Images)

1

Nick Kyrgios

With momentum on his side after winning his first grass-court ATP Challenger event in 2014, the then-19-year-old Australian rode that wave into Wimbledon. Granted a wild card into the tournament, Kyrgios made the most of his opportunity. In the second round, he rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit and fought off nine match points against the 13th seed, Richard Gasquet. A couple of rounds later, he produced the upset of the tournament when he beat a No. 2-seeded Rafael Nadal in four sets.

2

Florian Meyer

In his first year of playing Grand Slam events, a 20-year-old Florian Mayer reached the second round of both the 2004 Australian and French opens. At Wimbledon, Mayer opened up his campaign with a solid first-round win over the Australian veteran Wayne Arthurs, then beat the No. 3 seed Guillermo Coria in the second round. Two more impressive wins followed before France’s Sebastien Grosjean stopped his charge.

3

John McEnroe

At the 1977 French Open, John McEnroe teamed up with his childhood friend Mary Carillo to win his first Grand Slam title. Only a few weeks later, it seemed as if the 18-year-old amateur was going to claim another, this time at the All England Club. With the quick grass courts complementing his phenomenal serve-and-volley game, McEnroe advanced to the main draw out of qualifying then proceeded to reach the semifinals, where former champ Jimmy Connors stopped him.

4

Pat Cash

As the top seed at the junior event in 1982, Pat Cash lived up to expectations and won the title, dropping only three sets along the way. When it was time to make his debut at the senior level a year later, the young Australian didn’t disappoint. Dropping only 19 games in nine sets through his first three matches, Cash reached the round of 16, where he fell to the No. 3 seed, Ivan Lendl. Only four years after this, the two would meet in the final, with Cash exacting revenge.

5

Tim Mayotte

With NCAA team and individual titles under his belt, Tim Mayotte was already enjoying a midyear stretch to remember in 1981. The Stanford Cardinal kept the good feelings going into Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals in his debut appearance. Battling through the section of the draw that saw Lendl and Guillermo Vilas, the No. 4 and No. 10 seeds, respectively, fall in the first round, Mayotte serve and volleyed his way through to the last eight with the loss of only one set.