Men's singles
Men's singles in "real" tennis is the first world championship in any sport. It predates the use of the term "real tennis," as the sport was called just "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. The top four ranked players in the world (excluding the champion himself) playoff 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 was held in 2023, with sets played on the 17th, 19th, and 21st of September in suburban Washington, D.C.
World Singles Champions
| Year | Venue | Winner | Runner-Up | Scores | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1740 |  Clergé, The Elder |
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| 1765 | Raymond Masson |
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| 1785 | Joseph Barcellon |
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| 1816 | James Street, Haymarket |  Marchisio |
 Philip Cox |
||
| 1819 | James Street, Haymarket | Philip Cox |
Amédée Charrier |
||
| 1829 | James Street, Haymarket | Jacques Edmond Barre |
Philip Cox |
||
| 1862 | James Street, Haymarket[1] | Edmund Tompkins |
Jacques Edmond Barre |
1-0 (sets) | retired injured |
| 1871 | N/A | George Lambert |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1885 | Hampton Court |  Tom Pettitt |
George Lambert |
7-5 (sets) | |
| 1890 | St Stephens Green, Dublin[2] | Tom Pettitt |
Charles Saunders |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1890 | N/A | Charles Saunders |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1895 | Princes Club, Brighton | Peter Latham |
Charles Saunders |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1898 | Princes Club, Brighton | Peter Latham |
Tom Pettitt |
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1904 | Princes Club, Brighton | Peter Latham |
Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1905 | Queen's Club & Princes Club, Brighton | Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
Peter Latham |
5-1 (sets) | |
| 1906 | Princes Club, Brighton[3] | Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
Ferdinand Garcin |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1907 | Princes Club, Brighton | Peter Latham |
Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1908 | N/A | Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1909 | Princes Club, Brighton[4] | Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
Ted Johnson |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1910 | Princes Club, Brighton | Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
Fred Covey |
7-6 (sets) | |
| 1912 | Prince's Club, London | Fred Covey |
Cecil 'Punch' Fairs |
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1914 | Philadelphia | Jay Gould II |
Fred Covey |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1916 | N/A | Fred Covey |
N/A | N/A | claimed |
| 1922 | Prince's Club, London | Fred Covey |
Walter Kinsella |
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1923 | Prince's Club, London | Fred Covey |
Walter Kinsella |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1927 | Prince's Club, London | Fred Covey |
Pierre Etchebaster |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1928 | Prince's Club, London | Pierre Etchebaster |
Fred Covey |
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1930 | Prince's Club, London | Pierre Etchebaster |
Walter Kinsella |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1937 | Tuxedo Club | Pierre Etchebaster |
Ogden Phipps |
3-1 (sets) | retired injured |
| 1948 | New York | Pierre Etchebaster |
Ogden Phipps |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1948 | New York | Pierre Etchebaster |
Jim Dear |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1949 | New York | Pierre Etchebaster |
Ogden Phipps |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1950 | New York | Pierre Etchebaster |
Alastair Martin |
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1952 | New York | Pierre Etchebaster |
Alastair Martin |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1955 | New York & Queen's Club | Jim Dear |
Albert "Jack" Johnson |
11-10 (sets) | |
| 1957 | Queen's Club | Albert "Jack" Johnson |
Jim Dear |
7-3 (sets) | |
| 1959 | New York | Northrup R. Knox |
Albert "Jack" Johnson |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1966 | New York | Northrup R. Knox |
Ronald Hughes |
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1968 | New York | Northrup R. Knox |
Pete Bostwick Jr. |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1969 | New York & Manchester | Pete Bostwick Jr. |
Frank Willis |
11-8 (sets) | |
| 1970 | New York | Pete Bostwick Jr. |
Jimmy Bostwick |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1972 | New York | Jimmy Bostwick |
Pete Bostwick Jr. |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1974 | New York | Jimmy Bostwick |
Howard Angus |
7-5 (sets) | |
| 1976 | New York & Queen's Club | Howard Angus |
Eugene L Scott |
11-4 (sets) | |
| 1977 | Hampton Court | Howard Angus |
Eugene L Scott |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 1979 | Hampton Court | Howard Angus |
Chris Ronaldson |
7-0 (sets) | |
| 1981 | Queen's Club | Chris Ronaldson |
Howard Angus |
6-1 (sets) | retired |
| 1983 | Hampton Court | Chris Ronaldson |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Wayne Davies |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1985 | Queen's Club | Chris Ronaldson |
Wayne Davies |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1987 | Queen's Club | Wayne Davies |
Chris Ronaldson |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1988 | New York | Wayne Davies |
Lachlan Deuchar |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1991 | New York | Wayne Davies |
Lachlan Deuchar |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 1993 | New York | Wayne Davies |
Lachlan Deuchar |
7-6 (sets) | |
| 1994 | Hobart & New York | Robert Fahey |
Wayne Davies |
9-5 (sets) | |
| 1995 | Hobart | Robert Fahey |
Wayne Davies |
6-2 (sets) | retired |
| 1996 | Melbourne | Robert Fahey |
Wayne Davies |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 1998 | Melbourne | Robert Fahey |
Julian Snow |
7-4 (sets) | |
| 2000 | Hobart | Robert Fahey |
Wayne Davies |
7-0 (sets) | |
| 2002 | Hampton Court | Robert Fahey |
Tim Chisholm |
7-6 (sets) | |
| 2004 | Newport, Rhode Island | Robert Fahey[5] |
Tim Chisholm |
7-1 (sets) | |
| 2006 | Oratory | Robert Fahey[5] |
Tim Chisholm |
7-0 (sets) | |
| 2008 | Fontainebleau | Robert Fahey[5] |
Camden Riviere |
7-5 (sets) | |
| 2010 | Melbourne | Robert Fahey[5] |
Steve Virgona |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 2012 | Queen's Club | Robert Fahey |
Steve Virgona |
7-3 (sets) | |
| 2014 | Melbourne | Robert Fahey[6] |
Camden Riviere |
7-3 (sets) | |
| 2016 | Newport, Rhode Island | Camden Riviere[6] |
Robert Fahey |
7-2 (sets) | |
| 2018 | Queen's Club | Robert Fahey[7] |
Camden Riviere |
7-5 (sets) | |
| 2022 | Prested Hall | Camden Riviere |
Robert Fahey |
7-5 (sets) | |
| 2023 | Vienna, Virginia | Camden Riviere |
John Lumley |
7-3 (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,[8] the title was won and then defended five times by singles world champion Rob Fahey and Steve Virgona. They lost their title in the final set of the final match in 2015, in a championship held at Prested Hall (UK). The title now belongs to Camden Riviere and Tim Chisholm, who defended it successfully in the latest World Championship that took place in January 2019 in Hobart (Australia).
| Year | Venue | Winners | Runners-Up | Scores | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Middlesex University | Tim Chisholm/ Julian Snow |
Steve Virgona/ Ruraidh Gunn |
5-1 (sets) | |
| 2003 | Hobart | Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona |
Tim Chisholm/ John Bainton |
5-0 (sets) | |
| 2005 | Fontainebleau | Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona |
David Woodman/ Neil Roxburgh |
5-0 (sets) | |
| 2007 | Boston | Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona |
Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere |
5-3 (sets) | |
| 2009 | Seacourt | Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona |
Bryn Sayers/ Ricardo Smith |
5-0 (sets) | |
| 2011 | Melbourne | Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona |
Ben Taylor-Matthews/ Julian Snow |
5-0 (sets) | |
| 2013 | Paris | Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona |
Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere |
5-4 (sets) | |
| 2015 | Tuxedo | Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere |
Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona |
5-0 (sets) | |
| 2017 | Prested Hall | Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere |
Robert Fahey/ Ricardo Smith |
5-4 (sets) | |
| 2019 | Hobart | Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere |
Robert Fahey/ Nick Howell |
5-1 (sets) | |
| 2022 | Bordeaux | Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere |
John Lumley/ Steve Virgona |
6/4 6/3 6/3 6/4 2/6 3/6 6/4 |
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).[9]
| Year | Venue | Winner | Runner-Up | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Melbourne | Judith Clarke |
Lesley Ronaldson |
2-1 (sets) |
| 1987 | Seacourt | Judith Clarke |
Katrina Allen |
2-0 (sets) |
| 1989 | Philadelphia | Penny Fellows |
Sally Jones |
2-1 (sets) |
| 1991 | Hobart | Penny Lumley (née Fellows) |
Sally Jones |
2-1 (sets) |
| 1993 | Bordeaux | Sally Jones |
Charlotte Cornwallis |
2-1 (sets) |
| 1995 | Newport | Penny Lumley (née Fellows) |
Sue Haswell |
2-1 (sets) |
| 1997 | Ballarat | Penny Lumley (née Fellows) |
Sue Haswell |
2-0 (sets) |
| 1999 | Hampton Court | Penny Lumley (née Fellows) |
Sue Haswell |
2-1 (sets) |
| 2001 | Washington | Charlotte Cornwallis |
Penny Lumley (née Fellows) |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2003 | Melbourne | Penny Lumley (née Fellows) |
Charlotte Cornwallis |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2005 | Paris | Charlotte Cornwallis |
Joe Iddles |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2007 | Manchester | Charlotte Cornwallis |
Penny Lumley (née Fellows) |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2009 | Newport | Charlotte Cornwallis |
Karen Hird |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2011 | Melbourne | Claire Vigrass |
Karen Hird |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2013 | Paris | Claire Vigrass |
Sarah Vigrass |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2015 | Leamington | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass) |
Sarah Vigrass |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2017 | Tuxedo | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass) |
Sarah Vigrass |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2019 | Ballarat | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass) |
Isabel Candy |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2022 | Fontainebleau | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass) |
Lea van der Zwalmen |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2023 | The Oratory | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass) |
Lea van der Zwalmen |
2-0 (sets) |
Women's doubles
The women's doubles world championship[10] is held at the same time and venue as the women's singles championship. It is also a tournament format, rather than a challenge.
| Year | Venue | Winner | Runner-Up | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Melbourne | Judith Clarke/Ann Link |
Lesley Ronaldson/ Karen Toates |
2-0 (sets) |
| 1987 | Seacourt | Lesley Ronaldson/ Katrina Allen |
Judith Clarke/ Jane Hyland |
2-0 (sets) |
| 1989 | Philadelphia | Sally Jones/ Alex Garside |
Katrina Allen/ Penny Fellows |
2-1 (sets) |
| 1991 | Hobart | Sally Jones/ Alex Garside |
Penny Fellows/ Helen Mursell |
2-0 (sets) |
| 1993 | Bordeaux | Charlotte Cornwallis/ Penny Fellows |
Sally Jones/ Alex Garside |
2-0 (sets) |
| 1995 | Newport, Rhode Island | Sue Haswell/ Penny Fellows |
Sally Jones/ Lesley Ronaldson |
2-1 (sets) |
| 1997 | Ballarat | Sue Haswell/ Penny Fellows |
Fiona Deuchar/ Kate Leeming |
2-0 (sets) |
| 1999 | Hampton Court | Sue Haswell/ Penny Fellows |
Alex Garside/ Sally Jones |
2-1 (sets) |
| 2001 | Washington | Joe Iddles/ Penny Fellows |
Alex Garside/ Charlotte Cornwallis |
2-1 (sets) |
| 2003 | Melbourne | Jo Wood (née Iddles)/ Penny Fellows |
Alex Garside/ Kate Leeming |
2-1 (sets) |
| 2005 | Paris | Charlotte Cornwallis/ Sue Haswell |
Frederika Adam/ Susay Castley |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2007 | Manchester | Charlotte Cornwallis/ Penny Fellows |
Sue Haswell/ Kate Leeming |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2009 | Newport, Rhode Island | Charlotte Cornwallis/ Karen Hird |
Amy Hayball/ Juliette Lambert |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2011 | Melbourne | Claire Vigrass/ Sarah Vigrass |
Karen Hird/ Rosie Snell |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2013 | Paris | Claire Vigrass/ Sarah Vigrass |
Penny Fellows/ Tara Lumley |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2015 | Leamington | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Sarah Vigrass |
Penny Fellows/ Tara Lumley |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2017 | Tuxedo Club | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Sarah Vigrass |
Amanda Avedissian/ Saskia Bollerman |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2019 | Ballarat | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Tara Lumley |
Penny Lumley/ Kate Leeming |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2022 | Fontainebleau | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Sarah Vigrass |
Saskia Bollerman/ Isabel Candy |
2-0 (sets) |
| 2023 | The Oratory | Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Tara Lumley |
Lea van der Zwalmen/ Saskia Bollerman |
2-0 (sets) |
See also
Mixed doubles
A mixed doubles world championship has not been organized for real tennis.
References
- ↑ ""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.
- 1 2 "World Championship Singles 2016". International Real Tennis Professionals Association. 13 March 2013.
- ↑ "World Championship Singles 2018". Queen's Club.
- ↑ "Annual Report" (PDF). United States Court Tennis Association. 2008–2009. p. 54. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2020.
- ↑ "The Antique Sport of Real Tennis, and the Woman Who Dominates It". The New Yorker. 27 September 2015.
- ↑ Tennis and Rackets Association (PDF) https://www.tennisandrackets.com/downloads/TennisResults/LadiesWorldDoubles.pdf. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
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- Real Tennis World Championship 2004 Program, p. 5, National Tennis Club, Newport, Rhode Island.