The early years
United States · born New York, 1878 · died 1967 · US champion 1904, six times US doubles champion and credited with the twist serve
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7
US Championships titles: the 1904 singles and six doubles
6
US doubles titles: 1899 to 1901 with Dwight Davis, 1904 to 1906 with Beals Wright
1900
Member of the first US Davis Cup team, winning the doubles with Davis
1901
Wimbledon doubles finalist with Davis
1937 to 1947
President of the US Lawn Tennis Association
Holcombe Ward was born in New York on 23 November 1878. At Harvard he formed a doubles partnership with his classmate Dwight Davis, and the two won the US doubles title three years running from 1899 to 1901. In August 1900 they were in the American team that met the British Isles at Longwood in the first Davis Cup tie, and they won the doubles 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. In 1901 they crossed to Wimbledon, won the All-Comers doubles and lost the Challenge Round to the Doherty brothers.
Ward then partnered Beals Wright to three more US doubles titles from 1904 to 1906. In singles he won the US Championships in 1904, beating William Clothier 10-8, 6-4, 9-7 in the final, and lost the 1905 Challenge Round to Wright. In 1905 he played Wimbledon and won the London Championships at Queen's Club when Wright gave him a walkover in the final. He played Davis Cup again in 1902, 1905 and 1906.
Later in life he returned to the game as an administrator and was president of the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1937 to 1947, through the Second World War. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1956 and died at Red Bank, New Jersey, on 23 January 1967, aged 88.
| US singles | 1904 final: beat William Clothier 10-8, 6-4, 9-7. 1905 Challenge Round: lost to Beals Wright 6-2, 6-1, 11-9 |
|---|---|
| US doubles finals | Runner-up with Davis in 1898 to Leo Ware and George Sheldon, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Champions 1899 to 1901, the last against Ware and Wright 6-3, 9-7, 6-1. Lost the 1902 Challenge Round to Reginald and Laurence Doherty 11-9, 12-10, 6-4. With Wright, won the 1904 final from two sets to one down against Kreigh Collins and Raymond Little, 1-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 |
| Wimbledon 1901 | With Davis won the All-Comers doubles final against Herbert Roper Barrett and George Simond 7-5, 6-4, 6-4, then lost the Challenge Round to the Dohertys 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 9-7. The match had begun the day before and was abandoned for rain at 4-6, 6-0, 9-9 |
| Davis Cup 1900 | Won the first Davis Cup doubles rubber with Davis at Longwood, Boston, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, as the United States beat the British Isles. In all he played 14 Davis Cup rubbers in seven ties, winning seven |
| Queen's 1905 | Won the London Championships at Queen's Club on a walkover from Beals Wright in the final |
| US Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1899 | Men's doubles†| with Dwight F. Davis |
| 1900 | Men's doubles†| with Dwight F. Davis |
| 1901 | Men's doubles†| with Dwight F. Davis |
| 1904 | Men's doubles†| with Beals Wright |
| 1904 | Men's singles†| |
| 1905 | Men's doubles†| with Beals Wright |
| 1906 | Men's doubles†| with Beals Wright |
| Seabright Invitational | ||
| 1903 | Men's singles | |
| Queen's Club | ||
| 1905 | 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
The person behind the player.
Longwood, 1897
As a Harvard freshman in June 1897 he won the state championship at Longwood by beating Leo Ware in four sets. The holder, George Wrenn, did not defend the cup, so Ward was champion without a challenge round.
Source: The Harvard Crimson, 21 June 1897Cambridge, 1899
In the Harvard fall doubles of November 1899, Ward and Davis beat their classmates 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. The Crimson reported that "the playing was very one-sided and Ward and Davis had no trouble in winning."
Source: The Harvard Crimson, 8 November 1899Boston, August 1900
The first International Lawn Tennis Challenge was set for 8 to 10 August 1900 on the grass at the Longwood Cricket Club. On the second day Ward and Davis, already twice US doubles champions together, beat the British pair 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Source: Tennis MajorsWimbledon, 1901
Their Challenge Round against the Dohertys was stopped by rain the day before with the score at 4-6, 6-0, 9-9. When it was played again, the brothers won 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 9-7.
Source: Wimbledon Compendium 2025 (AELTC)Harvard and after
The Hall of Fame credits him with originating the twist serve. As a Harvard man he also won the 1899 intercollegiate doubles title, and the Hall lists him as world No. 1 for 1904.
Source: International Tennis Hall of FameFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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