Wimbledon is with us once again and the long farewell has already begun for that Scottish sporting maestro, Sir Andy Murray.
But did you know about the north-east court star who enjoyed prodigious success at the famous London venue in the second half of his life, and was accustomed to jumping on his motorbike and travelling down to tournaments in Edinburgh and elsewhere?
Aberdeen’s Jimmy Wood, who died in 2020, was a redoubtable character with an interest in, and talent for, everything from art and education to sport and being a devoted father.
But one of his particular specialities was tennis, in which he won no less than seven Wimbledon titles when he was in his 50s, 60s and 70s.
Long before Murray lifted the singles crown at Wimbledon in 2013, Jimmy, who died in 2020 at the age of 85, was courting success in leafy SW19.
He was the north-east champion no less than 25 times. And he competed in the prestigious International Tennis Federation World Super-Seniors in Australia.
Jimmy Wood: Once met, never forgotten
One colleague recalled: “The word might be bandied around too much these days, but Jimmy was a legend, everybody thought the world of him, and he was a gentleman.”
A former goalkeeper at Banks O’Dee, he was a well-known figure across the region and once explained why tennis meant so much to him.
He said: “It’s a game from the cradle to the grave, one you can play from being a tiny kid to an old-age pensioner like myself.
“I won my first senior title at the National Veterans Grass Courts Championships in 1994 and I’ve been adding to it ever since.”
As a member of Cults Tennis Club for more than 70 years, Mr Wood was a classic lad o’pairts, somebody with a beetle-browed enthusiasm for a litany of different subjects.
He and his wife Jacqueline had eight sons – Stephen, David, Michael, Jimmy, Robbie, Peter, Calum and Sean – and they have all enjoyed their time on tennis courts, while Calum represented Scotland at hockey.
The many talents of Jimmy Wood
However, David Wood highlighted how his father had also been a popular teacher and talented sculptor, somebody who poured his heart and soul into everything he tried.
He said: “Dad packed a lot into his life and while he was delighted to be winning at Wimbledon, tennis was just one of his interests.
“He was also the head of the art department at Aberdeen College and he was a sculptor and a painter, somebody whose work went on public display at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
“He threw himself into everything he did and though he was a bit surprised at the media interest when he won the titles at Wimbledon, he took it all in his stride.”
Colin Fleming, the Scottish player who won eight ATP doubles titles and starred for Britain in the Davis Cup, described Mr Wood as a “legend”.
He said: “I remember travelling up to play in the north east and Jimmy was still winning titles in his 70s. He was so intense on court, but it paid off.
“He was obviously from a different generation, but we all knew about him and when you look at what he achieved, there is no doubt that he was a legend in tennis.”
And someone who clearly made a positive impression on all those who met him.
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