the second home of the SW19 greats

One of the doubles specialist’s funnier Wimbledon stories involves carrying a rubber snake in his pocket the entire tournament he played with Hingis, hoping someone would spot it. “It became funny because the security guys saw it every day I came in, and years later one said, ‘Oh, that’s the guy with the snake!'” he laughs.

De Jager, who has worked successfully as a coach with fellow South African Kevin Anderson, among others, says: “I’m lucky. I’ve reached the round of 16 in all Grand Slam tournaments, but this is by far the best.”

“The Last 8 brings you back to your old friends”

“For me, Wimbledon is the most prestigious tournament,” he says. “It’s the hallowed ground of tennis, so it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. If you get in a taxi and someone asks what you do and you say you’ve been playing tennis, they always ask you if you’ve played at Wimbledon and you’re judged on whether you’ve played here. It’s also wonderful to get access to Centre Court tickets because they’re so hard to get. We sing, we dance, we laugh.

“When you get to the end of your career, you start to think about what you want to do next because a lot of players struggle once they get past the first year. That’s why the Last 8 is so special. It’s a place where you can socialise and talk about your career after tennis if you want. Or I’m often asked for tips on safari holidays in South Africa! A lot of players make the effort to come to Wimbledon because of the prestige.”

This week at the Last 8 Club was particularly emotional for De Jager as he was reunited with his former mixed doubles partner, fellow South African Elna Reinach. He speaks to her regularly but hadn’t seen her for 29 years. “It was very emotional to see Elna again, that’s why the Last 8 is so special, it brings you back to your old friends.”

Just as the Championships are known for adopting British idiosyncrasies, foreign players are often delighted with the method Feaver uses to select Centre Court tickets. The club has access to 12 tickets a day. “We put chips in a top hat and feel like it’s a bit magical, like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Goran Ivanisevic is a funny man. We had a lot of fun. But when he first saw me with the top hat on he couldn’t quite understand it! I think he thought it was quite British,” says Feaver.

Another reference to local humor is the popular 6 p.m. happy hour at the Last 8 Club, also known as “Grumpy Hour.”

As we leave, Feaver and De Jager spend some time inspecting the wall of names. To an outsider, it’s clear why the Last 8 Club has such a calm atmosphere – it’s full of people who created some of the most memorable SW19 moments, and to them, it’s like a second home.