List of real tennis world champions
Below are the lists of real tennis world champions.
Men's singles
Men's singles in "real" tennis is the oldest world championship in sports. It predates the use of the term "real tennis," as the sport was simply "tennis" until lawn tennis gained popularity.
Except in cases where the champion has retired, the championship has always been on a challenge basis — the champion retains the title until losing an official challenge or retiring. Originally, the champion had the right to accept or reject a challenge, usually depending upon the prize money put up by the challenger's sponsor. Several years could thus go by between challenge matches. Today, however, the title must be defended every even-numbered year. The top four ranked players in the world (excluding the champion himself) play off for the right to challenge. The champion and challenger then play a match of up to 13 sets over three days (4 sets, 4 sets and up to 5 sets on the final day). In theory this is the only match the champion has to play in the two years since winning the last one.
The most recent men's world championship match concluded in April 2018 at London's Queen's Club, where Robert Fahey beat defending champion Camden Riviere, to reclaim the title, his 13th world championship victory.
To date there are 25 players who have been declared a Champion (of England vs France or considered the best player at that time) and after 1885 officially "World Champion" when the 13 set challenge format was introduced in 1885. The governing body, the Tennis & Rackets Association consider all of the players as the official World Singles Champions.[1]
World Singles Champions
| Year | Venue | Winner | Runner-Up | Scores | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1740 |  |
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| 1765 | |
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| 1785 | |
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| 1816 | James Street, Haymarket |  |
 |
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| 1819 | James Street, Haymarket | |
|
||
| 1829 | James Street, Haymarket | |
|
||
| 1862 | James Street, Haymarket [2] | |
|
1-0 (sets) | retired injured |
| 1871 | N/A | |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1885 | Hampton Court |  |
|
7-5 (sets) | |
| 1890 | St Stephens Green, Dublin [3] | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1890 | N/A | |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1895 | Princes Club, Brighton | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1898 | Princes Club, Brighton | |
|
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1904 | Princes Club, Brighton | |
|
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1905 | Queen's Club & Princes Club, Brighton | |
|
5-1 (sets) | |
| 1906 | Princes Club, Brighton [4] | |
|
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1907 | Princes Club, Brighton | |
|
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1908 | N/A | |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1909 | Princes Club, Brighton [5] | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1910 | Princes Club, Brighton | |
|
7-6 (sets) | |
| 1912 | Prince's Club, London | |
|
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1914 | Philadelphia | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1916 | N/A | |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1922 | Prince's Club, London | |
|
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1923 | Prince's Club, London | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1927 | Prince's Club, London | |
|
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1928 | Prince's Club, London | |
|
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1930 | Prince's Club, London | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1937 | Tuxedo Club | |
|
3-1 (sets) | retired injured |
| 1948 | New York | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1948 | New York | |
|
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1949 | New York | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1950 | New York | |
|
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1952 | New York | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1955 | New York & Queen's Club | |
|
11-10 (sets) | |
| 1957 | Queen's Club | |
|
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1959 | New York | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1966 | New York | |
|
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1968 | New York | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1969 | New York & Manchester | |
|
11-8 (sets) | |
| 1970 | New York | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1972 | New York | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1974 | New York | |
|
7-5 (sets) | |
| 1976 | New York & Queen's Club | |
|
11-4 (sets) | |
| 1977 | Hampton Court | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1979 | Hampton Court | |
|
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1981 | Queen's Club | |
|
6-1 (sets) | retired |
| 1983 | Hampton Court | |
 |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1985 | Queen's Club | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1987 | Queen's Club | |
|
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1988 | New York | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1991 | New York | |
|
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1993 | New York | |
|
7-6 (sets) | |
| 1994 | Hobart & New York | |
|
9-5 (sets) | |
| 1995 | Hobart | |
|
6-2 (sets) | retired |
| 1996 | Melbourne | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1998 | Melbourne | |
|
7-4 (sets) | |
| 2000 | Hobart | |
|
7-0 (sets) | |
| 2002 | Hampton Court | |
|
7-6 (sets) | |
| 2004 | Newport, Rhode Island | |
|
7-1 (sets) | |
| 2006 | Oratory | |
|
7-0 (sets) | |
| 2008 | Fontainebleau | |
|
7-5 (sets) | |
| 2010 | Melbourne | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 2012 | Queen's Club | |
|
7-3 (sets) | |
| 2014 | Melbourne | |
|
7-3 (sets) | |
| 2016 | Newport, Rhode Island | |
|
7-2 (sets) | |
| 2018 | Queen's Club | |
|
7-5 (sets) |
Men's doubles
The men's doubles title is earned in a tournament, played off among the sport's eight top-ranked pairings. Competed every odd-numbered year, it is hosted in rotation among the countries with active courts in the following order: the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and the United States. The championship match uses a best of 9 sets format. After the first championship was won by Tim Chisholm and Julian Snow, the title was won and then defended five times by singles world champion Rob Fahey and Steve Virgona. They lost the title in the final in 2015. in the most recent championship held at Prested Hall Rob fahey and Ricardo Smith lost in the final set.
- 2001 Tim Chisholm/Julian Snow
- 2003 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
- 2005 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
- 2007 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
- 2009 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
- 2011 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
- 2013 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
- 2015 Camden Riviere/Tim Chisholm
- 2017 Camden Riviere/Tim Chisholm
Women's singles
Unlike the men's singles title, the women's title is earned in a tournament. The title holder must win her way through the draw for the right to defend the championship. The championship tournament is held every odd-numbered year. Since 2011 the title has been held by Claire Fahey (née Vigrass).[10]
- 1985 Judith Clarke
- 1987 Judith Clarke
- 1989 Penny Fellows (Lumley)
- 1991 Penny Lumley
- 1993 Sally Jones
- 1995 Penny Lumley
- 1997 Penny Lumley
- 1999 Penny Lumley
- 2001 Charlotte Cornwallis
- 2003 Penny Lumley
- 2005 Charlotte Cornwallis
- 2007 Charlotte Cornwallis
- 2009 Charlotte Cornwallis
- 2011 Claire Vigrass
- 2013 Claire Vigrass
- 2015 Claire Fahey
- 2017 Claire Fahey
Women's doubles
The women's doubles world championship is held at the same time and venue as the women's singles championship. It is also a tournament format, rather than a challenge.
- 1986 Judith Clarke/Anne Link
- 1987 Lesley Ronaldson/Katrina Allen
- 1989 Sally Jones/Alex Garside
- 1991 Sally Jones/Alex Garside
- 1993 Penny Lumley/Charlotte Cornwallis
- 1995 Penny Lumley/Sue Haswell
- 1997 Penny Lumley/Sue Haswell
- 1999 Penny Lumley/Sue Haswell
- 2001 Penny Lumley/Jo Wood (Iddles)
- 2003 Penny Lumley/Jo Wood (Iddles)
- 2005 Charlotte Cornwallis/Sue Haswell
- 2007 Charlotte Cornwallis/Penny Lumley
- 2009 Charlotte Cornwallis/Karen Hird
- 2011 Claire Vigrass/Sarah Vigrass
- 2013 Claire Vigrass/Sarah Vigrass
- 2015 Claire Fahey/Sarah Vigrass
- 2017 Claire Fahey/Sarah Shuckburgh
See also
Mixed doubles
A mixed doubles world championship has not been organized for real tennis.
References
- ↑ "Tennis & Rackets Association" (PDF). World Championship Singles.
- ↑ ""The Tennis Championship." Times [London, England] 27 Dec. 1913". Times Digital Archive.
- ↑ "Adventures of an Irish Expatriate: Real Tennis in Ireland". Irish Real Tennis.
- ↑ ""Sports in Brief." Times [London, England] 12 Apr. 1906". Times Digital Archive.
- ↑ "Ted Johnson". Leamington Tennis Court Club.
- 1 2 3 4 "Fahey profile". Tennis & rackets.com.
- ↑ "World Championship Singles 2016". International Real Tennis Professionals Association.
- ↑ "World Championship Singles 2016". International Real Tennis Professionals Association.
- ↑ "World Championship Singles 2018". Queen's Club.
- ↑ http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/the-antique-sport-of-real-tennis-and-the-woman-who-dominates-it
- Real Tennis World Championship 2004 Program, p. 5, National Tennis Club, Newport, Rhode Island.