1939 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles

Men's singles
Men's singles
1939 Wimbledon Championships
Champion	Bobby Riggs
Runner-up	Elwood Cooke
Score	2–6, 8–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Draw	128 (10Q)
Seeds	8

Second-seeded Bobby Riggs defeated Elwood Cooke in the final, 2–6, 8–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 1939 Wimbledon Championships.^[1] Don Budge was the defending champion, but was ineligible to compete after turning professional at the end of the 1938 season. Three-time finalist Gottfried von Cramm, who had won the Queen's Club Championships the week before, stated that his absence was because he had not entered, denying that he had been refused entry due to his 1938 indecency conviction.^[2]

It would be the last Wimbledon tournament for seven years until 1946 due to World War II.

Seeds

1.

Bunny Austin (quarterfinals)

2.

Bobby Riggs (champion)

3.

Don McNeil (second round)

4.

Franjo Punčec (semifinals)

5.

Henner Henkel (semifinals)

6.

Elwood Cooke (final)

7.

Roderich Menzel (second round)

8.

Ignacy Tłoczyński (third round)

Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.

Draw

Key

Q = Qualifier
WC = Wild card
LL = Lucky loser
Alt = Alternate
ITF = ITF entry
PR = Protected ranking
SR = Special ranking
SE = Special exempt
JE = Junior exempt
JR = Junior Accelerator Programme entrant
CO = College Accelerator Programme entrant
NG = Next Gen Accelerator Program entrant
w/o = Walkover
r = Retired
d = Defaulted

Finals

Quarterfinals					Semifinals						Final

1	Bunny Austin	3	0	1

6	Elwood Cooke	6	6	6
					6	Elwood Cooke	6	4	6	6

					5	Henner Henkel	3	6	4	4
	Franjo Kukuljević	1	3	2

5	Henner Henkel	6	6	6
											6	Elwood Cooke	6	6	6	3	2

											2	Bobby Riggs	2	8	3	6	6
	Gene Smith	0	2	2

4	Franjo Punčec	6	6	6
					4	Franjo Punčec	2	3	4

					2	Bobby Riggs	6	6	6
	Ghaus Mohammad	2	2	2

2	Bobby Riggs	6	6	6

Top half

Section 1

First round						Second round						Third round							Fourth round

1	Bunny Austin	6	6	12
	József Asbóth	1	4	10		1	H Austin	6	6	6
LL	Maurice Lucking	5	1	5			O Anderson	3	4	4
	Owen Anderson	7	6	7								1	H Austin	7	9	0
	Jaroslav Drobný	6	6	6									J Drobný	5	7	0^r
	Ho Jin	1	2	4			J Drobný	6	6	6
Q	Henry Weatherall	6	6	7		Q	H Weatherall	2	2	4
	Garton Hone	4	3	5															1	H Austin	8	6	6
	Jack Darkins	8	6	8																D Butler	6	4	4
	Douglas Snart	6	4	6			J Darkins	7	6	3	1
	Cristea Caralulis	4	2	9	0		D Butler	9	4	6	6
	Don Butler	6	6	7	6								D Butler	4	6	4	6	6
Q	Bert Whitney	2	3	2									R Göpfert	6	2	6	3	3
	Jack Van den Eynde	6	6	6			J Van den Eynde	5	4	2
	Andre Najar	3	3	1			R Göpfert	7	6	6
	Rolf Göpfert	6	6	6

Section 2

First round							Second round						Third round						Fourth round

6	Elwood Cooke	1	6	6	6
	Christian Boussus	6	4	0	3		6	E Cooke	6	7	7
	Jost Spitzer	3	6	1	1			G Godsell	1	5	5
	George Godsell	6	4	6	6								6	E Cooke	7	6	6
	Cliff Hovell	0	7	6	8	6								G Lyttleton-Rogers	5	1	4
Q	Headley Baxter	6	9	0	6	3		C Hovell	2	8	6
	Iftikar Ahmed	3	7	8				G Lyttleton-Rogers	6	10	8
	George Lyttleton-Rogers	6	9	10															6	E Cooke	6	6	6
	Helmuth Gulcz	2	2	4																J Olliff	1	1	4
	Dewar Brown	6	6	6				D Brown	3	6	4	1
	Ian Collins	6	6	6				I Collins	6	1	6	6
	Bob Higgin	1	2	2										I Collins	6	7	2	4
	John Olliff	3	4	6	6	0								J Olliff	8	5	6	6
	(No citizenship) Daniel Prenn	6	6	1	4	0^r		J Olliff	6	6	6
LL	Janmeja Charanjiva	2	4	1				B Maneff	2	4	4
	Boris Maneff	6	6	6

Section 3

First round							Second round						Third round							Fourth round

3	Don McNeill	6	6	6
	Kálmán Aschner	1	1	0			3	D McNeill	4	5	1
	Franjo Kukuljević	6	4	6	6			F Kukuljević	6	7	6
	Tod Hughan	1	6	1	0									F Kukuljević	6	7	6
	Jimmy Jones	6	6	6										W-C Choy	4	5	4
	Tommy Anderson	1	0	3				C Jones	3	6	2	4
	Raymond Egan	7	6	4	2	3		W-C Choy	6	2	6	6
	Choy Wai-Chuen	5	1	6	6	6															F Kukuljević	6	6	6
	Herman David	6	6	5	6																M Deloford	4	3	1
	Gordon Fitt	2	1	7	3			H David	4	5	4
	Dennis Coombe	4	12	3	1			D Mitić	6	7	6
	Dragutin Mitić	6	11	6	6									D Mitić	5	4	6	6	3
	Hector Etchart	7	6	6										M Deloford	7	6	2	2	6
Q	Brian Royds	5	1	2				H Etchart	4	3	6	2
	Arnold England	5	6	4				M Deloford	6	6	2	6
	Murray Deloford	7	8	6

Section 4

First round							Second round						Third round						Fourth round

5	Henner Henkel	9	6	6
	Jack Piercy	7	0	0			5	H Henkel	6	6	6
	György Dallos	3	9	4	4			J Comery	1	2	4
	John Comery	6	7	6	6								5	H Henkel	6	4	6	6
	Hans Pfaff	6	4	6	1	6								L Shaffi	4	6	4	1
	Dilip Bose	2	6	1	6	2		H Pfaff	6	3	3	4
	Brian Sturgeon	1	2	6	5			L Shaffi	3	6	6	6
	Laurie Shaffi	6	6	3	7														5	H Henkel	6	6	6
	Jacques Brugnon	6	6	3	6															J Brugnon	1	3	0
	Frank Wilde	1	3	6	3			J Brugnon	6	6	6
	Reginald Bessemer-Clark	5	1	6				R Mulliken	4	2	4
	Bob Mulliken	7	6	8										J Brugnon	6	6	6	6
	Adam Baworowski	6	4	5	5									G de Stefani	4	4	8	4
	Giorgio de Stefani	3	6	7	7			G de Stefani	6	10	6
	Léopold de Borman	6	7	3	0	7		L de Borman	2	8	1
Q	Colin Ritchie	4	5	6	6	5

Bottom half

Section 5

First round						Second round						Third round							Fourth round

	Emil Gábori	6	6	6
	Jack Harrison	4	2	2			E Gábori	7	9	5	6
	Kho Sin-Kie	w/o					J Gunn	5	7	7	2
	Jack Gunn												E Gábori	6	6	2	6
	Guy Cooper	5	4	3									G Canepele	4	1	6	2
	Vanni Canepele	7	6	6			G Canepele	6	6	7
	Yeswanath-Rao Savoor	7	9	6			Y-R Savoor	2	4	5
	Pierre Geelhand de Merxem	5	7	1																E Gábori	0	4	3
	František Cejnar	6	9	6																E Smith	6	6	6
	Antoine Gentien	1	7	2			F Cejnar	6	7	6
LL	Malcolm Maclagan	2	5	7			M Csikos	4	5	3
	Mihály Csikós	6	7	9									F Cejnar	3	2	7	6	1
	Buster Andrews	6	2	3	4								E Smith	6	6	5	1	6
	Gene Smith	3	6	6	6		E Smith	6	3	6	7
	Eric Peters	1	2	2		7	R Menzel	1	6	3	5
7	Roderich Menzel	6	6	6

Section 6

First round							Second round						Third round					Fourth round

	Alan Coldham	6	6	6
	Gwyn Tuckett	3	4	3				A Coldham	8	4	9	2
	Dermot Muspratt	4	3	4				A Russell	6	6	11	6
	Alejo Russell	6	6	6										A Russell	10	6	6
	Harold Hare	6	3	6	6	3								A Mottram	8	4	1
	Arnulf Schmidt	2	6	8	0	6		A Schmidt	6	3	1	1
	Eric Filby	8	3	6	1	5		A Mottram	3	6	6	6
	Tony Mottram	6	6	4	6	7													A Russell	3	6	1
	Roland Morton	6	3	6	2	1												4	F Punčec	6	8	6
	Hector Fisher	3	6	3	6	6		H Fisher	6	1	2	0
	Bobby Meredith	2	1	3				D MacPhail	3	6	6	6
	Donald MacPhail	6	6	6										D MacPhail	3	3	5
	Henry Billington	3	2	9									4	F Punčec	6	6	7
	Pat Sherwood	6	6	11				P Sherwood	3	1	3
	Neil Edwards	2	2	3			4	F Punčec	6	6	6
4	Franjo Punčec	6	6	6

Section 7

First round							Second round						Third round					Fourth round

	Gaston Médécin	7	6	2	1
	Helge Plougmann	9	1	6	6			H Plougmann	3	3	5
	Ottó Szigeti	12	6	6				O Szigeti	6	6	7
	Bill Robertson	10	4	4										O Szigeti	8	6	6
	Jack Lysaght	4	3	3										A van Swol	6	4	4
	Hans van Swol	6	6	6				A van Swol	6	6	4	6
	Max Ellmer	6	6	6				M Ellmer	2	3	6	4
	Alexandru Hamburger	1	0	3															O Szigeti	4	16	6	3	4
	Claude Lister	1	6	3	1														G Mohammad	6	14	2	6	6
	Bob Tinkler	6	4	6	6			B Tinkler	4	3	2
	Ghaus Mohammad	6	6	6				G Mohammad	6	6	6
	Norman Taylor	3	1	2										G Mohammad	6	6	6
Q	Dennis Slack	6	6	5	7	6							8	I Tłoczyński	0	3	4
	Henry Burrows	8	4	7	5	3	Q	D Slack	3	1	1
Q	Chuni Savara	2	0	3			8	I Tłoczyński	6	6	6
8	Ignacy Tłoczyński	6	6	6

Section 8

First round							Second round							Third round					Fourth round

	Georg von Metaxa	2	4	6	4
	Robert Abdesselam	6	6	3	6			R Abdesselam	5	1	4
	Josef Šíba	6	6	6				J Šíba	7	6	6
	Eustace Fannin	3	2	1											J Šíba	5	4	7
	Ronnie Shayes	2	6	7	4	6									R Shayes	7	6	9
	Georgios Nikolaides	6	2	5	6	4		R Shayes	6	3	9	2	8
Q	Jack Warboys	0	0	0				J Palada	4	6	7	6	6
	Josip Palada	6	6	6																R Shayes	5	8	4	3
	Edmund David	2	5	5															2	R Riggs	7	6	6	6
	Harry Lee	6	7	7				H Lee	2	4	5
	Cam Malfroy	6	6	2	4	6		C Malfroy	6	6	7
	Nigel Sharpe	4	3	6	6	0									C Malfroy	6	9	2
	Ted Avory	6	1	6	4	6								2	R Riggs	8	11	6
	Derrick Leyland	3	6	4	6	4		E Avory	4	4	2
Q	Jagan Dhamija	3	0	4			2	R Riggs	6	6	6
2	Bobby Riggs	6	6	6

References

^ Barrett, John (2014). Wimbledon: The Official History (4th ed.). Vision Sports Publishing. ISBN 9-781909-534230.
^ "Von Cramm States U.S. Bars His Entry ... He Denies Wimbledon Refused to Have Him Compete". The New York Times. Associated Press. 17 June 1939. p. 5 col. 6. Retrieved 30 September 2025.

External links

Source for the draw at Wimbledon.com

[Barrett-1] Barrett, John (2014). Wimbledon: The Official History (4th ed.). Vision Sports Publishing. ISBN 9-781909-534230.

[2] "Von Cramm States U.S. Bars His Entry ... He Denies Wimbledon Refused to Have Him Compete". The New York Times. Associated Press. 17 June 1939. p. 5 col. 6. Retrieved 30 September 2025.

[1]

[2]