Wimbledon tennis player and coach given freedom of Isle of Wight town
A tennis player who twice made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon has been given the freedom of an Isle of Wight town.
Ryde Town Council has awarded Patricia (Pat) Maclean with the Freedom of Ryde Award for Lifelong Contribution to Sport, in recognition of her contribution to tennis both as a player and coach.
The award recognises Pat's life of quiet service in the Island town, and acknowledges her position as one of Ryde's most cherished residents.
Read more:
Rare train appearances and ales at Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Island's RSPCA branch looking for new homes for nine fundraising dog statues
Born on November 11, 1934, Pat is a renowned former British tennis player and proud member of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
She twice reached the fourth round of Wimbledon's singles tournament and a two-time women's doubles quarter-finalist.
She also represented Great Britain in the 1954 Wightman Cup.
(Image: Contributed)
Beyond her time on the court, Pat dedicated her life to coaching and inspiring young athletes.
Pat has passed down her wisdom and passion for the sport by mentoring young sportsmen and women and simply offering kind words of encouragement.
Despite rubbing shoulders with tennis stars and celebrities on her frequent trips to Wimbledon, Pat's heart has always remained with the Ryde community.
Now in her 90th year, her wisdom continues to be felt at Mead Lawn Tennis Club.
She most recently went to Wimbledon in 2024 with members from the Island tennis club, watching a range of elite matches and even bumping into Cliff Richard.
She is a pillar of the community and has shown a true commitment to nurturing talent, earning her respect throughout Ryde and the Island.
Her actions on and off the court will be remembered for generations.
The Freedom of Ryde Award acknowledges not only her sporting achievements but also the love, dedication and inspiration she has brought to the Island town.
The Mayor of Ryde, Cllr Richard May, commented: "Pat Maclean's name is etched into Ryde's sporting history.
"Her contribution to tennis, both nationally and within our community, has been immense.
"It is a privilege to present this award to someone who has shaped so many lives with kindness and passion."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
9 hours ago
- Fox Sports
All Blacks great Stu Wilson, known for his ebullient personality and pioneering play, dies at 70
Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Stu Wilson, an elusive All Blacks winger whose playing style reflected his ebullient personality, has died. He was 70. Wilson's death was confirmed by New Zealand Rugby, which did not specify a cause. He died in his sleep Sunday at his home in Tauranga on New Zealand's North Island. Wilson was a natural joker whose play was many years ahead of its time. He foreshadowed the larger, stronger wingers who are now commonplace but he also had pace, balance and an ability to break tackles. Wilson scored 19 tries in 35 tests for the All Blacks which, at the time of his retirement, was the all-time record for New Zealand. That included a hat-trick of tries against the British and Irish Lions at Dunedin in 1983. He captained the All Blacks on their 1983 tour to Britain and formed a brilliant attacking partnership at provincial and international level with his fellow winger and friend Bernie Fraser. After retiring Wilson became an amusing and popular commentator for television. David Campese, an ex-Australia winger who made his test debut opposite Wilson in 1982, told Television New Zealand 'as a player, Stu made rugby look easy and earned huge respect as captain in 1983.' 'He had a swerve to beat anyone, extreme pace, intellect and power, able to break through tacklers, making him a try-scoring machine.' ___ AP rugby: in this topic
Boston Globe
10 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Coco Gauff used words and a mirror to persuade herself she could win the French Open
So she drew inspiration from Northampton's Gabby Thomas, who became the women's Advertisement 'I wrote, 'I will be French Open champion 2025' like a bunch of times,' Gauff explained. 'She [Thomas] wrote 'I will be the Olympic champion' and she ended up winning the gold. I think it's a great mindset that she had.' Eight lines on a piece of paper written by Gauff late on a Friday night, then it was finally time for bed, time to rest. Coco Gauff took inspiration from Gabby Thomas at Roland Garros 'I will be the French Open 2025 Champion.' Powerful words fulfilled by a powerful young woman. 🇺🇸❤️ — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) Not quite. Gauff then persuaded herself a little bit more, by staring at the mirror and convincing herself she was looking at the face of a soon-to-be French Open champion. 'Looking at myself in the mirror so I was trying to instill that belief, and obviously it happened. I didn't know if it was going to work or not. [But] it did,' Gauff said, then laughed as she added: 'When you're desperate, you're just trying anything to think that it's going to help you win.' Advertisement Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4, to win the French Open on Saturday. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images Gauff also posted on Instagram another message she wrote to herself four years ago, which started with the words 'I had a dream last night that I will win [the] French Open.' Job done. What also stood out during the 2 hours, 38 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Saturday — in a gritty final punctuated by swirling winds due to the open roof — was how Gauff stayed calm while Sabalenka imploded and continually remonstrated with herself. Saturday's French Open final was a frustrating afternoon for top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka. Lindsey Wasson/Associated Press All the screams and shouts were coming from Sabalenka's side of the net, while there was an almost quiet, steely focus on Gauff's side. That's largely because, these days, Gauff gets her frustrations out before matches. 'I know how important it is for me to let out those emotions so that when I come on the match court I can try and be as calm as possible,' the No. 2-ranked Gauff said. 'I'm more cool-headed in matches. But in practice I can get pretty upset. Just let me be upset. If I'm upset, I'd rather be upset on the practice court than the match.' Gauff will now switch to the grass-court season and may play in Berlin next week before heading to London for Wimbledon, which starts on June 30. When she gets to London, Gauff will indulge in one of her favorite hobbies: trying to get out of Escape Rooms. 'For sure, I love it, and I'm going to definitely do it,' she said. And how about Sabalenka? How will she be coping with the defeat and the frustrations she so clearly felt? Advertisement Will she be analyzing footage of the match over and over again, trying to understand where she went wrong and what she must do better? Far from it. She's off to indulge herself in Greece. 'I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar. I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world,' Sabalenka said. 'Tequila, gummy bears, and I don't know, swimming, being like the tourist for couple of days.'
San Francisco Chronicle
10 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
By the numbers: Carlos Alcaraz and his performance for the ages in French Open final
PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his French Open title on Sunday with a performance for the ages, winning the longest final at Roland-Garros in the Open era. Alcaraz produced a stunning comeback, rallying from two sets down to beat top-ranked Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) after saving three match points. Here's a by-the-numbers look at the thrilling final: 5 Alcaraz won his fifth Grand Slam title, in as many finals. The 22-year-old Spaniard became the third youngest man in history to reach that milestone after Bjorn Borg (21) and Rafael Nadal (22). And it was the fifth time in succession Alcaraz has beaten Sinner overall. 5 hours, 29 minutes This was the longest men's final at Roland-Garros. The previous record was held by Mats Wilander and Guillermo Vilas in 1982 (4 hours and 42 minutes). 3 The number of match points saved by Alcaraz. He battled back from 3–5, 0-40 down in the fourth set. He saved the first match point when Sinner sent a forehand long. Sinner missed a return on the second, then Alcaraz came out on top of a short baseline rally. Alcaraz is just the third man in the Open era to save at least one championship point on his way to a Grand Slam trophy, joining Gaston Gaudio at the 2004 French Open and Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019. 2 It was only the second time that a men's singles Grand Slam final was decided at the fifth set tiebreaker after Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev at the 2020 U.S. Open. 9 Alcaraz is the ninth man in the Open era to rally from two sets down to win a major final. 22 The number of wins on clay for Alcaraz this year, with only one defeat. 1 Alcaraz has won a best-of-5 match after losing the opening two sets for the first time. ___ AP tennis:
