The All England Lawn Tennis Club is to celebrate the victories of the five British Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Champions who won their titles after the Club moved to its present Church Road site in 1922, by commissioning renowned sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley to make a portrait bust of each player.

The head and shoulder sculptures of Kitty Godfree (1924 & 26), Dorothy Round (1934 & 1937), Angela Mortimer (1961), Ann Jones (1969) and Virginia Wade (1977) will portray the Champions at the time of their success. Fred Perry, the only British Men’s Champion in this period, is already commemorated in the grounds with a statue.

Cast in bronze and slightly over life-size, the sculptures are scheduled to be unveiled in time for the start of the 2004 Championships and are expected to be located in front of the Clubhouse.

Ian Rank-Broadley is well–known as the sculptor of the new effigy of HM The Queen that has been used on United Kingdom and Commonwealth coinage since 1998. His initials, IRB, appear under the portrait of The Queen on all newly minted coins.

Tim Phillips, Chairman of the All England Club, said: “It is fitting that we should honour our British Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Champions as we have Fred Perry and we feel Ian Rank-Broadley’s work will help capture the history and tradition of The Championships through art.”