Tucked away behind the All England Club’s Gate number five is one of the world’s most exclusive sporting societies. The entrance to the Last 8 Club could go completely unnoticed as it is next to a large backdrop where fans can pose for photos en route to Centre Court. The only indicator that one of Wimbledon’s most prestigious, yet unknown, gathering places is there is the presence of two security guards obscuring the entrance.
The name of the club is rather self-explanatory – membership is granted to any man or woman who has made the quarter-finals. Men’s and women’s doubles players who reach the semi-finals are also invited as are the winners of mixed doubles. Club membership is for life with there currently being approximately 680 living members.
Before entering the Last 8 Club, there was certainly a sense of mystique. The concept of a space for tennis greats of past and present to congregate seems like an inner sanctum to intrude upon.
However, as Telegraph Sport was granted exclusive access to enter the Last 8, it was a warm and welcoming space. That atmosphere seems a good deal down to former British tennis player and self-described “journeyman” John Feaver who runs the Club.
The 72-year-old is soft spoken yet full of witty tales of his own career and his various roles in tennis include a player liaison for the Championships and his current job. There are paradoxes to the Last 8 club as some outsiders could imagine grandeur and elitism, while on the contrary it is a relatively small space with one of the most relaxed atmospheres of the All England Club. Similarly, Feaver himself just missed out on becoming a Wimbledon Last 8 Club member having reached the fourth round in 1973 in doubles and the quarter-final of the men’s doubles in 1981.
‘All members get a pass for themselves and a guest’
It is with a tone of kindness Feaver explains why the Last 8 club was founded in 1986, the first of any of the tennis majors to do so but they have all followed suit.
“Buzzer Hadingham, who was the chairman and I think a champion who was stuck in the queue and couldn’t get in,” Feaver explained. “And then saw Buzzer later on and said, ‘this is not right?’ But they had a conversation and I think the chairman felt players should be held in recognition.
“So they all get one pass for themselves and one for guest and they come here and this is often the most extraordinary day had for a very long time.”
It is worth noting Wimbledon champions are granted All England Club membership, yet they still enjoy dropping by the Last 8, with Billie Jean King attending the club’s annual dinner earlier this week. Rod Laver is another Feaver was delighted to see.
An amazing night at the #Wimbledon Last 8 Club Dinner,
held annually for any player who has reached the quarterfinals or better in singles, and the semifinals or better in doubles and mixed doubles.It was wonderful to see everyone. We competed hard, but have always remained… pic.twitter.com/awzwv6Z9vv
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) July 8, 2024
Feaver quotes a point King made that Wimbledon is about “playing hard and making lifelong friends” and he becomes genuinely emotional. “I thought that gets it about what this is all about” as he waves around the room.
The space is by no means large and feels more akin to an over-sized sitting room where families meet with plush green sofas and tables surrounded by comfortable pale pink velvet chairs. There is a bar, a television with the day’s action being played. One wall is painted the deep Wimbledon bottle green and on it spelt out in gold lettering are the names of all its members. The size of the name varies on the number of Wimbledon titles won.
Upon meeting South African Last 8 Club member John-Laffnie de Jager one of the first things he does, is find his name and reverently run his fingers over it. “It has been great bringing my kids here and being able to show them this” he smiles as reads various names from the wall.
The 52-year-old made the Last 8 after making the men’s doubles semi-finals in 1999. Another particularly fond Wimbledon memory is playing mixed doubles with 1997 singles champion and three times doubles and two times mixed doubles winner Martina Hingis. Her name is in bigger font, due to the amount of silverware she has won, but just above De Jager’s which he can’t help but speculate “I wonder if my name is there because I played with Martina?”
One of the doubles specialist’s funnier Wimbledon tales involves keeping a rubber snake in his bag the entire tournament he was playing with Hingis, in the hope someone would discover it. “It became funny because the guys at security came across it everyday I entered and years later one said ‘oh that is the guy with the snake!’” he chuckles.
De Jager, who has success as a coach including working with fellow South African Kevin Anderson, says: “I’m fortunate. I’m in the Last 8 [club] of all the slams, but this is by far the best one.”
‘The Last 8 brings you back to your old friends’
“To me Wimbledon is the most prestigious. This is the holy ground of tennis, so it doesn’t matter where you’re on the world, if you get into a cab and somebody asks you what you do and you say you played tennis,” he says. “They will always ask if you played at Wimbledon and you will be judged on if you played here. It is wonderful to be able to get access to Centre Court tickets because they are so difficult to get. We sing, dance, there is laughter.
“When you get towards the end of your career to start thinking, what do you want to do that you don’t finish playing tennis and then you start looking what to do because a lot of players struggle in that year, when they’re done that first year. That is why the Last 8 is so special. It is a space to network and talk about your career after tennis if you want. Or I will get asked a lot about advice on safari holidays in South Africa! A lot of players will make the effort to come to Wimbledon because of the prestige.”
This week at the Last 8 Club was particularly emotional for De Jager as he was reunited with another former mixed doubles partner in another South African Elna Reinach who he speaks to regularly but had not seen in 29 years. “It was very emotional to see Elna again, that is why the Last 8 is so special, it brings you back to your old friends.”
Just as the Championships have become known for embracing its British quirks, foreign players are often tickled by the method Feaver applies to select the Centre Court ticket ballot. The Club has access to 12 tickets every day. “We put chips in a top hat and feel there is a bit of magic like pulling a rabbit from a hat. Goran Ivanisevic is a funny man. We have had lots of fun. But the first time he saw me with the top hat I think the first time he saw that, he couldn’t quite work this out! I think he felt it was rather British.”
Another reference to local humour is the popular 6pm Last 8 Club happy hour being dubbed “Grumpy Hour.”
As we depart, Feaver and De Jager spend more time inspecting the wall of names and to the outsider it is clear why the Last 8 Club has such a calm ambience, it is filled with those who created some of the most memorable SW19 moments and as such this is a second home for them.
Source Agencies
