List of real tennis world champions
Men's singles[edit]
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 concluded in April 2018. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 challenge was postponed until 2022.
World Singles Champions[edit]
Men's doubles[edit]
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) | |
| 2021 | Bordeaux | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Women's singles[edit]
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
|
Leslie 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) |
Women's doubles[edit]
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
|
Leslie 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 | Joe 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) |
See also[edit]
Mixed doubles[edit]
A mixed doubles world championship has not been organized for real tennis.
References[edit]
- ^ ""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.
- ^ a b c d "Fahey profile". Tennis & rackets.com.
- ^ a b "World Championship Singles 2016". International Real Tennis Professionals Association.
- ^ "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". 27 September 2015.
- ^ Tennis and Rackets Association (PDF) https://www.tennisandrackets.com/downloads/TennisResults/LadiesWorldDoubles.pdf. Retrieved 21 July 2020. Missing or empty
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- Real Tennis World Championship 2004 Program, p. 5, National Tennis Club, Newport, Rhode Island.