The early years
Great Britain · born Leamington, 1861 · died 1904 · seven times Wimbledon champion
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7
Wimbledon singles titles, 1881 to 1889
6
Wimbledon titles in a row, 1881 to 1886
5
Wimbledon doubles titles with his twin Ernest
22-3
Wimbledon singles match record
6
Match points saved against Harry Barlow, 1889
Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, on 3 January 1861, William Renshaw grew up in Cheltenham with his twin brother Ernest, and the two built their own court there to practise. He first played Wimbledon in 1880, losing in the third round to Otway Woodhouse, and won the singles the following year. He held the title for six years, missed 1887 with tennis elbow, and won again in 1889 for a total of seven, a men's record that stood until Roger Federer's eighth in 2017. With Ernest he won five Wimbledon doubles titles and the All-England doubles at Oxford in 1880 and 1881. In 1888 he became the first president of the Lawn Tennis Association. He retired in 1896, died in Swanage in 1904, and entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame, with Ernest, in 1983.
| Major singles titles | 7: Wimbledon (1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889) |
|---|---|
| Major singles finals lost | 1: Wimbledon 1890 |
| Other grass singles titles | 3: Irish Championships 3 (1880, 1881, 1882) |
| Major doubles titles | 5 doubles (Wimbledon 5) |
| Other grass doubles titles | 8: Irish Championships 8 (1880, 1881, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1884, 1885, 1885) |
| Titles kept in a challenge round | 7: Wimbledon (1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886); Wimbledon doubles (1886, 1889). Scored as a final won, not a full draw (-24 points). |
| Wimbledon doubles | 1884, 1885, 1886, 1888 and 1889, all with Ernest Renshaw; in 1888 they came back from two sets down against Herbert Wilberforce and Patrick Bowes-Lyon |
| All-England doubles at Oxford | 1880 and 1881 with Ernest, before the doubles championship was played at Wimbledon |
| Brother against brother | Beat Ernest in the Wimbledon Challenge Round in 1882 (6-1, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2), 1883 (2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3) and 1889 (6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0) |
| Finals to remember | 1881: beat John Hartley 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 for his first title. 1889 All-Comers' final: beat Harry Barlow 3-6, 5-7, 8-6, 10-8, 8-6, saving six match points and recovering from 0-5 in the fifth set |
| Last final | 1890: lost the Challenge Round to Willoughby Hamilton 6-8, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1881 | Men's singles | |
| 1882 | Men's singles | |
| 1883 | Men's singles | |
| 1884 | Men's doubles | with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1884 | Men's singles | |
| 1885 | Men's doubles | with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1885 | Men's singles | |
| 1886 | Men's doubles | with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1886 | Men's singles | |
| 1888 | Men's doubles | with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1889 | Men's doubles | with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1889 | Men's singles | |
| Irish Championships | ||
| 1881 | Men's doubles†| with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1881 | Mixed doubles†| with Mary Abercrombie |
| 1881 | Men's singles | |
| 1882 | Men's singles | |
| 1883 | Men's doubles†| with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1884 | Men's doubles†| with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1884 | Mixed doubles†| with Maud Watson |
| 1885 | Men's doubles†| with Ernest Renshaw |
| 1885 | Mixed doubles†| with Maud Watson |
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.
Cheltenham, 1870s
The twins were born at Brandon Lodge in Leamington and moved to Cheltenham as babies. They built a private tennis court there at their own expense and practised on it together. In summer they played the English and Irish tournaments and in winter they went to the French Riviera, an early version of a year-round circuit.
Source: Leamington History GroupWimbledon 1883
In 1883 the Renshaw twins played what is recorded as the first international match at Wimbledon, against the Americans Clarence Clark and J.S. Clark, and won it. The same year William beat Ernest in a five-set Challenge Round to keep the singles title, the second of three Wimbledon finals between the brothers.
Source: TennisheadWimbledon 1887
After six titles in a row, William did not defend his crown in 1887 because of tennis elbow, the first time the complaint drew public attention. He took up golf while he was away. Herbert Lawford, whom he had beaten in three straight finals, won the title that year against Ernest.
Source: WikipediaWimbledon 1889
In the All-Comers' final Harry Barlow won the first two sets and held six match points in the fourth, at 2-5 and 6-7. Renshaw won it 10-8, then fell 0-5 behind in the fifth and won that 8-6. The Leamington History Group calls it possibly the first great match. He then beat Ernest for his seventh title.
Source: WikipediaWimbledon 1890
Renshaw's last Wimbledon final came in 1890 as holder. Willoughby Hamilton beat him in five sets, 6-8, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. His Wimbledon singles record finished at 22 wins from 25 matches, the first of the defeats having come on his debut in 1880. He went on playing until 1896.
Source: International Tennis Hall of FameFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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