The early years
Great Britain · born Leamington, 1861 · died 1899 · Wimbledon champion 1888
All playersBack to the rankings
1
Wimbledon singles title, 1888
5
Wimbledon doubles titles with his twin William
3
Challenge Rounds lost to his brother
32-11
Major singles match record, all at Wimbledon
No. 1
World ranking for 1887, per the Hall of Fame
Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, on 3 January 1861, Ernest Renshaw was the elder twin by 15 minutes and grew up in Cheltenham, where the twins built their own court. They entered Wimbledon in 1879 but chose to watch, and Ernest made his debut in 1880, reaching the third round. He met William in the Challenge Round in 1882, 1883 and 1889 and lost all three. When tennis elbow kept William out in 1887, Ernest reached the final and lost to Herbert Lawford in five sets; a year later he beat Lawford for the title. With William he won the All-England doubles seven times, twice at Oxford and five times at Wimbledon. His last Wimbledon was in 1893; he retired in 1897 and died in 1899, aged 38. He entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame with William in 1983.
| Major singles titles | 1: Wimbledon (1888) |
|---|---|
| Major singles finals lost | 4: Wimbledon 1882, Wimbledon 1883, Wimbledon 1887, Wimbledon 1889 |
| Other grass singles titles | 4: Irish Championships 4 (1883, 1887, 1888, 1892) |
| Major doubles titles | 5 doubles (Wimbledon 5) |
| Other grass doubles titles | 6: Irish Championships 6 (1880, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1887) |
| Titles kept in a challenge round | 2: Wimbledon doubles (1886, 1889). Scored as a final won, not a full draw (-4 points). |
| Wimbledon doubles | 1884, 1885, 1886, 1888 and 1889, all with William Renshaw; in 1888 they won from two sets down against Herbert Wilberforce and Patrick Bowes-Lyon, 2-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 |
| All-England doubles at Oxford | 1880 and 1881 with William, before the doubles championship moved to Wimbledon |
| Finals to remember | 1888 All-Comers' final: beat Ernest Lewis 7-9, 6-1, 8-6, 6-4. 1888 Challenge Round: beat the holder, Herbert Lawford, 6-3, 7-5, 6-0 |
| The one that got away | 1887 final: led Herbert Lawford two sets to one and lost 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Last Wimbledon | 1893: drawn against William in the first round, he went through when his brother withdrew, and lost in the next round |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1884 | Men's doubles | with William Renshaw |
| 1885 | Men's doubles | with William Renshaw |
| 1886 | Men's doubles | with William Renshaw |
| 1888 | Men's doubles | with William Renshaw |
| 1888 | Men's singles | |
| 1889 | Men's doubles | with William Renshaw |
| Irish Championships | ||
| 1881 | Men's doubles†| with William Renshaw |
| 1883 | Men's doubles†| with William Renshaw |
| 1883 | Men's singles | |
| 1884 | Men's doubles†| with William Renshaw |
| 1885 | Men's doubles†| with William Renshaw |
| 1887 | Mixed doubles†| with Lottie Dod |
| 1887 | Men's singles | |
| 1888 | Men's singles | |
| 1892 | Men's singles | |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"In 1880 ended the frivolous era of lawn tennis."
The person behind the player.
Wimbledon 1879
Ernest and William entered the All England championship in 1879 but, daunted by the crowd, chose to watch and learn rather than play. Ernest made his Wimbledon debut the following year and reached the third round. Within two years he was playing his brother for the title.
Source: Our WarwickshireLeamington, 1861
Ernest was born 15 minutes before William and grew half an inch taller. The extra minutes counted for little at Wimbledon, where three of his finals were lost to his younger twin. Only in 1888, with William absent from the final, did the title go to Ernest.
Source: International Tennis Hall of FameWimbledon 1883
In 1883 the Renshaws met the American brothers Clarence and Joseph Clark at Wimbledon in what is recorded as the first international match played there. The twins won decisively. Britannica credits the pair with introducing hard serves and volleys when they first played together at Oxford in 1880.
Source: BritannicaStaffordshire, 1884
The sculptor Rowland James Morris, who worked for Staffordshire potteries, made a Parian ware tennis figure signed and dated 1884. A dealer describes the figure, holding a teardrop racquet with a ball at his feet, as bearing a very strong resemblance to Ernest. Only four examples are thought to exist, and a coloured one is in the Wimbledon museum.
Source: Sport AntiquesWimbledon 1887 and 1888
With William out injured in 1887, Ernest reached the final and led Herbert Lawford two sets to one before losing the last two sets 6-4, 6-4. Lawford came back as holder in 1888, and this time Ernest beat him 6-3, 7-5, 6-0 for his only singles title.
Source: WikipediaWimbledon 1893
The twins' last Wimbledon brought one more meeting, this time in the first round. William withdrew in Ernest's favour, and Ernest lost in the next round. Neither twin married, and in 1905 the family presented the All England Club with the Renshaw Cup.
Source: Our WarwickshireFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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