Stan Smith is there to witness the biggest showdown at Wimbledon. However, the 77-year-old American tennis legend is not alone; he is accompanied by his dear wife, Marjory Gengler, who herself has been a tennis player. But the biggest question is, who is the 73-year-old former tennis player in attendance to witness the Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz?

Marjory was an undergraduate student who participated in the US Open in 1971, 1973, and 1974, in addition to making her mixed doubles debut at Wimbledon in 1972. Although Marjory and Stan enjoyed great success as a pair off the court, their on-court collaboration revealed a different picture as they found it difficult to win matches together.

Smith was regarded as one of the best players in the world, and Gengler created history by being the first woman to play varsity tennis at Princeton University, where she is renowned for never dropping a set. However, Margie decided to give up competitive tennis despite their outstanding accomplishments after the couple’s two first-round eliminations in mixed doubles at the U.S. Open left them disappointed.

In her role as team captain, Marjory guided the women’s tennis team to an unbeaten 1972 campaign. Not only was she Princeton’s best player, but she was the best female player on the East Coast of the United States. In 1973, Marjory took on the top-ranked men’s junior varsity player, Jeffrey Lewis-Oakes, after watching the well-known Battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. However, Marjory lost the match.

As her husband founded the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina, Marjory committed herself to teaching their four children at home. Their kids are now adults, so she is concentrating on tutoring and serving on the Hilton Head Island Boys & Girls Club board.

However, off the court, as their love lives flourished, today both of them have been married for more than 50 years, adding another dimension to their love story.

Stan Smith and Marjory Gengler have been married for more than 50 years 

Not long after tying the knot in 1974, Marjory made the decision to stop playing competitively. Stan commended Marjory’s flexibility in an interview with Hilton Head Monthly, saying it was essential for overcoming the difficulties of their early years together. The pair supported one another’s goals while juggling their obligations, spending a large portion of their married life on the road.

Not only that, in an old interview, she talked about their love and stated, “For Valentine’s Day, I buy two cards — the one I’m going to give to him and one that says I’m the most wonderful person in the world and all that to give to him so he can give it to me.” However, on the other hand, whenever the topic of love comes up, the 73-year-old former tennis player stated in the past that “love means nothing in tennis,” but at the same time, she played tennis, made sacrifices for love, and is living a soulful life, with her husband.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on the lost former American tennis player? Do let us know in the comment section below.