Former British tennis No.1 Christopher Mottram, now 71, has been reportedly banned from Wimbledon following what fellow ex-No.1 Roger Taylor described as "further misdemeanours". The ban, initially imposed in 2023, was disclosed in Taylor's 2025 book The Man Who Saved Wimbledon, as reported in the Daily Mail's Eden Confidential column.
Ban Details and Reactions
Taylor, 84, wrote: "His antics and beliefs saw him frozen out by the establishment. He never became a permanent member of the All England Club which, for player with his record, would usually be guaranteed. In 2023, following further misdemeanours, he was banned from the place altogether." A Wimbledon spokesperson declined to comment on membership matters, stating: "I'm afraid we don't comment on our membership."
Mottram is understood to have been deeply upset by his reported expulsion, but Taylor suggested the ban was a consequence of his own conduct. He wrote: "Buster spent more time there than just about anyone else and it's been very sad to watch his decline and exclusion, even if much of it has been down to his own failings."
Mottram's Tennis Career
Known widely as 'Buster', Mottram was Britain's top-ranked male player during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He climbed as high as 15th in the world rankings in 1978 and 1983. His strongest showing at Wimbledon came when he reached the fourth round in 1982. He also progressed to the same stage at both the French Open and the US Open. Mottram represented Britain in the Davis Cup team that finished runners-up to the United States in 1978. He abruptly retired from the sport at the close of 1983, citing the "hassle" of competing in tournaments throughout the year.
Controversial Off-Court Activities
Mottram was a polarising character. He once penned a letter backing then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her clashes with the trade unions in the 1980s and signed it on behalf of the Davis Cup squad, which infuriated the tennis establishment. He also faced accusations of racism following his endorsement of far-right politician Enoch Powell, notorious for his 'Rivers of Blood' speech concerning mass immigration in the late 1960s.
After retiring, Mottram moved into right-wing politics. He was expelled from UKIP in 2008 for forming ties with the British National Party (BNP) and its then leader Nick Griffin. Mottram attempted to broker a pact between UKIP and the BNP, which resulted in his removal from the party, then under the leadership of Nigel Farage. Farage stated: "There are no circumstances, no possible situations, in which we would even consider doing any type of deal with the BNP whatsoever. I'm simply amazed that the BNP thought we would even consider such a thing, given that we are a non-racist, non-sectarian party." Griffin had hoped to negotiate an arrangement to prevent BNP and UKIP candidates from competing against one another in the following year's European elections.
