But the 60-year-old received a pleasent surprise when she discovered she had been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday's Honours list.

"I thought it was a parking fine because it was the same sort of envelope," she said.

"I opened it quickly before my husband saw it, because I thought I would be getting some points on my driving licence.

"It's nice to feel that I have played a part in the tennis scene and that I have been recognised."

Her prolific tennis career began at the age of just 16 when, under her maiden name of Truman, she reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 1957.

She was the youngest woman ever to win at Roland Garros - a record that survived until Steffi Graf beat Martina Navratilova in 1987.

Although the title remains her only Grand Slam success, she established herself as one of the stars of the All England Club.

Three times she reached the last four, losing out in the final in 1961 to fellow Briton Angela Mortimer 4-6 6-4 7-5.

"Reaching the final of Wimbledon was a dream come true," added Janes.

"As a youngster you dream to play at Wimbledon and in the Wightman Cup, and it happened.

"Let's hope it's not going to be too long before another British girl goes all the way to the final."

Truman was an integral part of England's Wightman Cup team, representing her country from 1957 to 1971 and the British Federations Cup team.

She continued to play well into her thirties before retiring in 1975 and becoming a member of BBC Radio's Wimbledon team.