Pierre Etchebaster

Pierre Etchebaster (December 8, 1893 - March 24, 1980) is widely considered history's greatest player of real tennis (in France "jeu de paume"), the original racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis (which has usurped the name "tennis"), is descended.

Born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France, a Basque fishing village, he served in the French Army during World War I before returning home to become the French champion in "main nués", "pala" and "chistera", all varieties of pelota.

In 1922, Etchebaster was encouraged by tennis player Jacques Worth (a president of a Paris court club) to take up the game of real tennis. Despite losing to Fred Covey in 1927, Etchebaster returned in his customary blue beret to win the world championship in London in 1928. He emigrated to New York City in 1930 where he played as a professional at the Racquet and Tennis Club. Etchebaster proceeded to dominate the sport. He was world champion for a record-breaking 26 years (1928–1954) until his retirement at the age of 60. He defended the title seven times — a feat unmatched until 2004 by Robert Fahey. (Fahey surpassed this mark by winning for an eighth time in 2006.)

He was an excellent athlete who would spend many hours a day on the "fronton" practising his many shots, and studying the spin effect of the surfaces of the court. In 1955 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur for his achievements, and in 1978 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He died in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

See also

* List of real tennis world champions