Tennis Legends - Fred Perry: British sporting legend who was the first to complete the Career Grand Slam

When the debate over Great Britain's greatest sporting figures is discussed, one man who deserves to be in the equation is eight-time Grand Slam champion Fred Perry.

Born in Stockport on the 18th May, 1909. He moved around a lot in the early part of his life due to his dad, Samuel, being involved in local politics. This led to spells residing in Bolton and Wallasey in Merseyside. Perry, when aged 11, eventually moved to Brentham Garden Suburb, Ealing after his dad was elected to National Secretary of the Co-operative Party after World War One. His dad ultimately became a Labour and Co-operative Party MP in 1929.

Perry found initial sporting glory in the world of table tennis. He was an entrant at both the 1928 and 1929 World Championships. Three medals - a silver in singles and two bronzes - were amassed from the 1928 edition, before winning the singles gold at the 1929 edition in Budapest. Perry supplementing the gold with bronze medals in the doubles and team disciplines.

The commencement of the 1930s saw Perry focus on tennis and gravitate away from table tennis. Initial success in domestic events was soon followed by glories on a global stage.

Perry, in 1930, was crowned champion at both the Middlesex and Harrogate Championships. Later that year, Perry downed Eric Peters to win the Argentine Championships in Buenos Aires.

Titles during 1931 included the Paddington Championships in London and the Eastern Grasscourt Championships in Rye, New York. This was a year where Perry started to have a significant impact in the Grand Slams. He made the last four at Wimbledon and the US Championships.

The 1932 campaign yielded a productive harvest of titles. These included a couple in France at the year's start. He also accrued titles such as the Kingston Championships in Jamaica and the British Hard Court Championships.

Quarter-final appearances at the French Championships and Wimbledon were his best showings in the 1932 majors.

Perry enjoyed a major breakthrough in 1933 when he claimed his first Grand Slam singles title at the US Championships. In the final, Perry bested American Jack Crawford, denying him a calendar year Grand Slam. His opponent was impeded by a knee injury, but Perry had now arrived in the big-time.

Further trophy lifts came in 1933 materialised at the British Hardcourt Championships, Pacific South West Championships and the Victorian Championships in Australia.

From 1934-36, Perry was the outstanding player in men's tennis, amassing seven Grand Slam singles titles. Perry claimed a second major title at the Australian Championships in the beginning of 1934. A dominant straight sets win over Crawford laid down a platform for what would develop into a career best year for Stockport's finest.

He replicated the victory over Crawford at the Wimbledon Championships that summer, beginning a run of three successive singles titles at SW19. This victory came after a quarter-final loss to Italian Giorgio de Stefani in Roland Garros. This loss was the only one for Perry in the majors of 1934.

A third Slam of the year materialised after a successful defence of the US Championships. He beat home player Wilmer Allison in a five set thriller, winning 8-6 in the decider. Perry continued to set the benchmark in 1935, winning both the French Championships and Wimbledon. The former of these in Paris, made Perry the first player to win all four major championships in their career. A four-set victory over German Gottfried Von Cramm placed Perry into tennis immortality.

Later that summer, Perry defeated Von Cramm again to retain his Wimbledon crown. It was a year that also featured a loss to Crawford in the Australian Championships and victory at the Belgian Championships.

1936 was the last of Perry's Grand Slam winning years. He made it three in a row at Wimbledon, annihilating Von Cramm for the loss of just two games. A third US Championships title would soon follow, taking his Grand Slam haul to eight from ten finals played.

In 1937, following a period of dominance in the amateur game, Perry made the decision to gravitate into the professional ranks. It was a move that led to him becoming a pariah figure in the British tennis establishment. The class-conscious nature of British tennis governance was a trigger for Perry to make the move.

The professional scene was not structured in quite the same way at this stage with knockout tournaments a rarity for Perry. He often embarked on a series of matches against fellow top players. In 1937, Perry went on an extensive tour with American Ellsworth Vines, with the Brit losing 32-29. A year later and tour alongside Vines resulted in a 49-35 score in favour of the Statesider.

Donald Budge achieved the then unique feat of a calendar year Grand Slam in 1938. After winning six majors consecutively, Budge turned pro and challenged Perry. Budge dominated their tour, winning 28-8.

Perry had greater joy when attaining his first pro major in the USA in 1938 and reclaiming the title in 1941. Perry's appearances become more sporadic as the 1940s is interrupted by World War Two

Perry served in the US Air Force (he gained US citizenship in 1939) during World War Two. He played very little tennis after 1941 until 1946. Three titles in America were amassed by Perry in 1946 and a further success at the White Mountains Pro in Jefferson during 1947.

At the 1948 pro event in Scarborough, England, Perry bested in the final Frenchman Yvon Petra, a Wimbledon champion two years earlier.

Perry defended the title in Scarborough the following year before cutting down on his appearances. The 1950s yielded three further career titles and a couple of quarter-final runs at the Wembley Pro. Aged 50, Perry played his last match at the 1959 US Pro in Cleveland.

Perry was the spearhead of a British Davis Cup dynasty. From 1933-36, Great Britain were all conquering in the Davis Cup. They beat France in 1933 before successive wins over the USA and then Australia in 1936. The British number one won 34 of his 38 Davis Cup singles rubbers and 11 of 14 doubles rubbers.

The discipline of doubles play proved to be a profitable one for Perry. He added to his Grand Slam haul in men's doubles with victories, partnered by compatriot Pat Hughes, at the 1933 French Championships and the 1934 Australian Championships.

Perry achieved a quartet of mixed doubles Grand Slams. In 1932 he won the French title with fellow Brit Betty Nuthall and then later that term allied with American Sarah Palfrey Cooke to win the US Championships. In tandem with Britain's Dorothy Round, they delighted the home crowd by winning the Wimbledon mixed doubles in 1935 and 1936.

Before he'd retired, Perry had founded a clothing label in 1952. This has become a much sought after brand to this day. The first item, a Fred Perry tennis shirt, was launched at that year's Wimbledon Championships. It proved an instant success. The logo, a laurel wreath, is based on the Wimbledon logo.

The company was mostly run by his son David until it was sold to a Japanese company, Hit Union, in 1995. However, Perry's family continue to work closely with the company. Fred Perry was once Andy Murray's clothing sponsor from the beginning of his career until 2009.

After his retirement in 1959 until 1994, Perry worked as a summariser for the BBC's radio coverage. He was briefly on the BBC TV coverage in the early 1950s before undertaking a commentary role with ITV when they covered the event, alongside the Beeb, from 1956 to 1968.

During his playing heyday, Perry embarked on high profile romances with actresses Marlene Dietrich and Mary Lawson. He was married on four occasions: a trio of short-lived ones to film star Helen Vinson, model Sandra Breaux and Lorraine Walsh, and then a longer-lasting partnership with Barbara Riese. This marriage produced two children, David and Penny.

Outside of tennis, family and business, Perry was an ardent Bolton Wanderers fan, having lived in the area for part of his childhood.

Perry is regarded as one of the greatest players in history. He's one of only nine men to have completed a Career Grand Slam. In a poll as recent as 2012, conducted by the Tennis Channel, Perry was ranked 15th greatest male player of all time.

The decision of Perry to turn professional left him shunned by British tennis for decades. One way this slight was rectified came in 1984 when a statue of Perry was erected at the All England Club, Wimbledon, to mark the 50th anniversary of his maiden Wimbledon triumph.

His native Stockport have recognised him in a number of ways. This includes a blue plaque at the house where he was born. There's also a walking route, opened in 2002, known as Fred Perry Way. Back in 2010, Perry's grandson John opened up Fred Perry House in the town.

In 2009, Royal Mail chose Perry for a stamp collection of eminent Britons. He has two drives named after in the States where he lived for much of his life.

Perry was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1975. Andy Murray’s achievements have challenged Perry's status as the British GOAT. Murray competed in a tougher and more heavily scrutinised period. However, Perry is part of such an exclusive Career Grand Slam club, he still gets my vote as Britain's greatest tennis player.