William Renshaw
William Charles Renshaw (3 January 1861 – 12 August 1904) was a British tennis player active during the late 19th century, who was ranked world No. 1. He won twelve Major *les during his career. A right-hander, he was known for his power and technical ability which put him ahead of compe*ion at the time. Renshaw shared the all-time male record of seven Wimbledon singles *les with American Pete Sampras until 2017 when Roger Federer won his eighth singles *le. His six consecutive singles *les (1881–86) is an all-time record. Additionally he won the doubles *le five times together with his twin brother Ernest. William Renshaw was the first president of the British Lawn Tennis *ociation (LTA).
Contents
- 1 Career
- 2 Death
- 3 Grand Slam finals
- 3.1 Singles (7 *les, 1 runner-up)
- 3.2 Doubles (5 *les)
- 4 Records
- 4.1 All-time
- 5 See also
- 6 References
- 7 External links
Career
Renshaw won a total of twelve Wimbledon *les. His record of seven singles *les, which Pete Sampras tied in 2000, was surp*ed in 2017 when Roger Federer won his eighth *le. The first six were consecutive, an achievement which has been unequaled to this day. Since 1922 the reigning champions have had to play in the main draw, making such feats considerably more difficult. In the summer months he would compete in England and Ireland, while competing on the French Riviera during the winter months and practising on a private tennis court he and his brother had built at their own cost. In singles play he played his twin brother Ernest Renshaw three times (1882, 1883 and 1889) in the Wimbledon final, triumphing on all three occasions. He was unable to defend his *le in 1887 because of tennis elbow, the first time this injury received public attention, and during his absence took up golf. The other five *les were in the Gentlemen's doubles, partnering with Ernest. Additionally, he and his brother dominated the sport for many years in a time when the only other Grand Slam was the U.S. Championships, and by custom players did not travel far. The rise in popularity of tennis in this period became known as the 'Renshaw Rush'. In 1888 William was elected the first president of the British Lawn Tennis *ociation (LTA). In 1983, William Renshaw was elected posthumously into the International Tennis Hall of Fame together with his brother.
Death
He died in Swanage, Dorset on 12 August 1904, aged 43, of epileptic convulsions. In 2020, a street in Leamington Spa was named after his brother and him, Renshaw Drive.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (7 *les, 1 runner-up)
Doubles (5 *les)
Records
All-time
See also
- Tennis portal
- List of Grand Slam men's singles champions
References
External links
- William Renshaw at the *ociation of Tennis Professionals
- William Renshaw at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Russ Adams
- George Adee
- Lawrence Baker
- John Barrett
- Nick Bollettieri
- Vic Braden
- Jane Brown Grimes
- Butch Buchholz
- Philippe Chatrier
- Gianni Clerici
- Bud Collins
- Joseph Cullman
- Allison Danzig
- Mike Davies
- Herman David
- Donald Dell
- Cliff Drysdale
- Steve Flink
- David Gray
- Clarence Griffin
- Gustaf V
- Derek Hardwick
- Gladys Heldman
- William Hester
- Lamar Hunt
- Nancy Jeffett
- Robert Walter Johnson
- Perry T. Jones
- Robert J. Kelleher
- Peachy Kellmeyer
- Al Laney
- Alastair Martin
- Dan Maskell
- William McChesney Martin
- Mark McCormack
- Julian Myrick
- Arthur Nielsen
- Mary Ewing Outerbridge
- Brad Parks
- Charlie Pasarell
- Gene Scott
- Lance Tingay
- Ted Tinling
- Ion Țiriac
- Brian Tobin
- Jimmy Van Alen
- Walter Clopton Wingfield
- Martina Hingis
- Gustavo Kuerten