For Moscow-born Morozova, prize money was not especially relevant.
“I came from the Soviet Union. We were not professional, we were amateurs. The money which I won not only here but in Wimbledon, everywhere else, was going to our federation,” the 76-year-old said.
“They paid for my trip, they paid for my coach, they paid for my whatever.”
That “whatever” would have included transport and accommodation.
“We arrived at Queen’s by Tube,” she said. “We were staying in Earl’s Court in a B&B. It was not a very good B&B, I think the toilets and the showers were three floors [apart]… You shared with other people, it was normal for everyone at that time.
“For Wimbledon, we had a car – imagine coming out of the B&B, down the stairs and you have the Rolls Royce with the driver with white gloves waiting for you and opening the door.”
It may not have been Wimbledon but Queen’s was a prestigious event. Chris Evert and Margaret Court were in the field, along with Evonne Goolagong, whom a 24-year-old Morozova upset in straight sets in the final without dropping serve.
It was a surprise result to most, but not to Morozova.
“I remember I played well,” she said. “Beforehand I was feeling the ball good and I already knew Evonne and knew how to play her, and grass was my very favourite surface.”
Since the prize cheque was not going to her pocket and there was no replica trophy to take away, the main benefit – prestige aside – was relief that the decision to seed her for Wimbledon for the first time had been vindicated.
In the days before the computerised rankings system, seedings – which ensure top players do not meet very early in a tournament – were decided by panels of experts.
“I was seeded eight at Wimbledon, and everybody was saying ‘Oh, my God, why is she seeded?’ But finally I won the tournament and I was actually feeling quite good because now they know why I was seeded!”
Morozova’s serve-and-volley game was well suited to grass – she was the Wimbledon junior champion in 1965 and won several titles on the surface.
She reached the Wimbledon final in 1974, losing to Evert just weeks after losing the French Open final to the American. But together, they earned the women’s doubles title at Roland Garros, making Morozova the first Russian to win a Grand Slam title.
