But his closest friendship now is with the Bryans, whom he has known since 2012. Over the years, Nicklaus has made many friends in the tennis community, and has met most of the most prominent champions including Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. I just love the atmosphere at Wimbledon and Phil invites Barbara and I into the Royal Box for a day. Bouchard didn’t have the power to deal with Kvitova’s game. “I have seen Serena win Wimbledon and was there when Kvitova beat Bouchard in the women’s final," he says.
More recently, Nicklaus has watched the Bryan twins compete at Wimbledon, and has been there for other big moments. Jack with Roger Federer at Wimbledon, in 2012. I would go down the weekend before playing the British Open golf.” I went several times as far back as the seventies when I saw Stan Smith beat Ilie Nastase in the final and I saw Newcombe win it. I have gone to Wimbledon about 10 or 12 times, and will be going back in 2019 because it is Phil’s last year. "I like the air about Wimbledon, the reverence people have for it. “What they do at Augusta is terrific and what they have done at Wimbledon is far superior to anything else in tennis, but I have only been one day at the US Open and have not been to Roland Garros or the Australian Open. “Wimbledon and The Masters are at the pinnacle of sporting events,” he asserts. Does he see a parallel between Wimbledon and golf’s most celebrated tournament, The Masters? With his unmistakable affection for grass courts, it is unsurprising that Nicklaus loves going to Wimbledon to see the world’s premier tennis tournament. I have tested virtually every new grass to see how the wear is and how it grows.” I also use the courts at home to test grasses for golf. I am 78 years old now and I hurt my shoulder last year and have played only a few sets this year, so I did not play tennis in the Fore-Love tournament. "I am decent, but not a tournament player. On his property in Lost Tree, Florida, Nicklaus built three grass courts in the 1970s.
I see us raising $3 to $5 million annually in the future.” Over time we will raise some significant money for kids. We have only done this for two years but raised about a million dollars both times with no title sponsor. "They are a big part of what we are doing with their foundation for kids and with our foundation. “The Bryan brothers have been good friends of Barbara’s and mine for quite a while and we have followed them and their careers closely," says Nicklaus. were Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, Kevin Anderson, Andy Roddick, Sloane Stephens, Milos Raonic and Mardy Fish. Among the tennis players who assembled in North Palm Beach and Jupiter, Fla. Just a few weekends ago, Nicklaus hosted the second annual “Fore Love” charity tournament which combines golf and tennis pro-ams, raising no less than $1.1 million for the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and the Bryan Bros. But while the Golden Bear will always be synonymous with the sport he dominated during his prime years as a competitor, the fact remains that he has had an enduring passion for the game of tennis, ever since he started playing it recreationally in his thirties. Widely revered as the greatest golfer of all time after securing a record 18 Grand Slam titles, universally respected across the spectrum of sports, and a celebrity who values making a difference in the wider world above all else, Jack Nicklaus is pridefully navigating his late seventies and enjoying his productive life enormously.
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