Fred Perry was the last British man to win a Grand Slam singles title before Andy Murray.
Perry’s final major victory came at the 1936 Wimbledon Championships, where he defeated Germany’s Gottfried von Cramm in straight sets. Murray ended the long wait by winning the 2012 US Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in a five-set final. Perry therefore remained the previous British male Grand Slam singles champion for 76 years.
Perry was one of the defining players of the 1930s. He won Wimbledon three times, in 1934, 1935 and 1936, and also completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and US championships. He was the first player to achieve that feat.
A common mix-up is Virginia Wade, who won the 1977 Wimbledon women’s singles title. The question specifies a British man, so Wade is not the answer. Andy Murray’s 2012 US Open triumph was also his first Grand Slam singles championship.