Professional tennis has come a long way since the 1980s with the game now a completely different entity entirely.
Back in the eighties, wooden rackets were used for starters and it’s quite staggering that they were able to play so fantastically well.
Technology has come a long way in terms of equipment and the balls are also yellow now as opposed to the white ones that used to be in operation.
Clearly, things are more advanced in this day and age and perhaps the current stars get things handed to them on a plate in comparison.
These days players take a number of rackets out onto the court but back then the bags were always filled with new rackets.
Yannick Noah is the last man to win a Grand Slam with a wooden racket
The Frenchman claimed glory at the French Open in 1983 and in the process, he became the last male to claim glory with a piece of wood in his hand.
Noah only claimed one major title during his career and winning his home Grand Slam was a proud moment for him.
Noah only ever reached the third round of Wimbledon but did manage a semi-final in Australia and also three quarter-finals at the US Open.
Noah’s crown came at a time when the majority of players still used wooden rackets but surely after more and more started switching to different materials.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| First Round | Anders Jarryd | 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 |
| Second Round | Victor Pecci Sr | 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 |
| Third Round | Patrick Du Pre | 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 |
| Fourth Round | John Alexander | 6-2, 7-6, 6-1 |
| Quarter-Final | Ivan Lendl | 7-6, 6-2, 5-7, 6-0 |
| Semi-Final | Christophe Roger-Vasselin | 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 |
| Final | Mats Wilander | 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 |
What John McEnroe said about Yannick Noah
The two players met each other four times on the professional tour, with Noah failing to beat the American star.
McEnroe was a huge fan of Noah’s though and lauded him during an interview some years later.
He told Eurosport: “He was too much of a free spirit to be an Ivan Lendl type of player.
“Noah was never the most gifted player but he could be so spectacular. Insane shots, playing with the crowd at match point down and he loved life.”
In the modern era, Noah would have gone down a storm and with few characters now on the tour, he’d have fit in just nicely.
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