Prime Minister David Cameron and the Queen were among those to pay tribute to Andy Murray's
Wimbledon victory.
Sport stars and celebrities have also praised the
26-year-old Scot after he became the first British men's winner since
Fred Perry in 1936, beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
The prime minister told the BBC: "It was an amazing performance from Andy Murray, but also an amazing day for British tennis and for Britain. He never gave up and it was magnificent.
"It was a privilege to watch Andy Murray making history."
BBC Royal correspondent Peter Hunt revealed: "The Queen has sent a private message to Andy Murray."
Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, an Olympic champion like Murray, was on Centre Court to witness his compatriot's moment of triumph.
"It has been a privilege to witness it and be in the box with family and friends, to share that very special moment," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"I know how much it means to him, his mum and everyone. I suppose there are times when they wonder if it is ever going to happen. They kept the faith and he was just supreme out there. It wasn't a walk in the park. It was a real battle.
"Andy is tennis, Andy is Wimbledon for the UK. There is only one person really that expectation lies on. I was a member of a team so if I didn't succeed it wouldn't be the end of the world for the whole nation.
"I have no idea how he deals with that expectation. Now after 77 years we can celebrate a British winner of Wimbledon, fantastic."
Murray converted his fourth championship point in a dramatic final game to win 6-4 7-5 6-4 and claim his second major title.
He is Scotland's first Wimbledon singles champion since Harold Mahony in 1896 and the first Briton to win since Perry captured his third title there in 1936.
Perry's daughter, Penny Perry, told the BBC she found the experience of watching Murray's triumph "surreal".