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.

The championship has been maintained on a challenge basis — the champion retains the title until losing a challenge or retiring. Originally, the champion had the right to accept or reject a challenge, usually depending on the prize money put up by a challenger's sponsor. Several years could go by between challenge matches. Today the title must be defended every even-numbered year. The top four ranked players in the world (excluding the champion) play off for the right to challenge. The champion and challenger then play a match of up to 13 sets over multiple days. 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 singles world championship was competed on May 20, May 22, and May 24, 2008 at the Château de Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau, France where Robert Fahey won a record ninth consecutive title match. [cite web| url=http://www.irtpa.com/index.php/realtennis/world_champs| title=The World Championships 2008| author=International Real Tennis Professionals Association | accessdate=June 3| accessyear=2008| ] The next challenge is scheduled for April or May 2010.

* 1740 Clergé, The Elder
* 1765 Raymond Mason
* 1785 Joseph Barcellon
* 1816 Marchisio
* 1819 Philip Cox
* 1829 Edmund Barre
* 1862, 1871 Edmund Thompkins
* 1871 George Lambert
* 1885, 1890 Tom Pettitt
* 1890 Charles Saunders
* 1895, 1898, 1904 Peter Latham
* 1905, 1906 Cecil Fairs
* 1907 Peter Latham
* 1908, 1910 Cecil Fairs
* 1912 Fred Covey
* 1914 Jay Gould II
* 1916, 1922, 1923, 1927 Fred Covey
* 1928, 1930, 1937, 1948, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952 Pierre Etchebaster
* 1955 Jim Dear
* 1957 Albert "Jack" Johnson
* 1959, 1966, 1968 Northrup Knox
* 1969, 1970 G.H. "Pete" Bostwick, Jr.
* 1972, 1974 Jimmy Bostwick
* 1976, 1977, 1979 Howard Angus
* 1981, 1983, 1985 Chris Ronaldson
* 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993 Wayne Davies
* 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 Robert Fahey

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. The most recent men's doubles world championship was held in March 2007 at the Tennis & Racquet Club, Boston, at which Robert Fahey and Steve Virgona successfully defended their title against Tim Chisholm and Camden Riviere in the final by 5 sets to 3.

* 2001 Tim Chisholm/Julian Snow
* 2003 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
* 2005 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona
* 2007 Robert Fahey/Steve Virgona

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. The most recent women's singles world championship was held from April 30th - May 6th 2007 at the Manchester Tennis and Racquet Club, UK.

* 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

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

Mixed doubles

A mixed doubles world championship has not been organized for real tennis.

References

* "Real Tennis World Championship 2004 Program", p. 5, National Tennis Club, Newport, Rhode Island.

External links

* [http://sports123.com/rte/ Sports123.com: Real Tennis champions]