Johnson Wins Wimbledon Doubles Title
July 8, 2001 | Men's Tennis
July 8, 2001
LONDON, ENGLAND -- Former Tar Heel Don Johnson ('90) and Stanford graduate ('91) Jared Palmer won the Wimbledon Doubles Championship Sunday afternoon 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) over Jiri Novak and David Rikl of the Czech Republic.
The match was resumed today at 4-4 in the first set after rain suspended play on Saturday. Johnson held his serve and then the pair immediately broke the Czechs' serve to win the first set. The teams split the next two sets and held serve throughout the fourth set, until the Americans faced a set point at 4-5. However, Johnson held serve and the set was decided in a tiebreak. After surviving a second set point at 5-6, the Americans rallied to win the next three points to earn the title.
Johnson etched his name in history again at the All-England Club, winning a Wimbledon title for the second consecutive year. Last year Johnson and Kimberly Po-Messarelli defeated Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clisjters to win the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Championship. Johnson has now won 20 career doubles titles and over $1.5 million in prize money during his career.
Johnson is the first Carolina graduate to win a Men's Doubles Grand Slam Title since Fred McNair ('73) teamed with Sherwood Stewart to capture the 1976 French Open.
Carolina Men's Coach Sam Paul served as Johnson's coach at Wimbledon throughout the last two weeks. Johnson and Paul will attend the Wimbledon Champions Dinner Sunday evening before returning to the United States.