William Renshaw

William Renshaw

William (L) and Ernest (R) Renshaw
Full name	William Charles Renshaw
Country	United Kingdom
Born	(1861-01-03)January 3, 1861 Leamington, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Died	August 2, 1904(1904-08-02) (aged 43) Swanage, Dorset
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Plays	Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	61-15
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1881)
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon	W ( 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1884, 1885, 1886, 1888, 1889)

William "Willie" Charles Renshaw (3 January 1861 in Leamington, Warwickshire – 12 August 1904 in Swanage, Dorset) was a former World No. 1 British male tennis player active during the late 19th century. He was one of the most successful male players in the history of the Wimbledon Championships. The right-hander was known for his power and technical ability which put him ahead of competition at the time.

Career

He won a total of twelve Wimbledon titles. Seven of those were in singles, an all-time record he shares with Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. The first six were consecutive, an achievement which has been unequaled to this day (although the five successive wins of Björn Borg and Roger Federer are considered the 'modern' record because in Renshaw's time the reigning champion had automatic entry to next year's final. Since 1922 the reigning champions have had to play in the main draw, making such feats considerably more difficult). In the Summer months he would compete in England and Ireland, while competing on the French Riviera during the winter months and practising on a private tennis court he and his brother had built at their own cost. In singles play he played his twin brother Ernest Renshaw three times (1882, 1883 and 1889) in the Wimbledon final, triumphing on all three occasions. The other five titles were in the Gentlemans' doubles, partnering with Ernest. Additionally, he and his brother dominated the sport for many years in a time when the only other Grand Slam was the US Open, and by custom players did not travel far. The rise in popularity of tennis in this period became known as the 'Renshaw Rush'. In 1888 William was elected the first president of the British Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). In 1983, William Renshaw was elected posthumously into the International Tennis Hall of Fame together with his brother.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (8)

Wins (7)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1881	Wimbledon	John Hartley	6–0, 6–1, 6–1
1882	Wimbledon (2)	Ernest Renshaw	6–1, 2–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2
1883	Wimbledon (3)	Ernest Renshaw	2–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3
1884	Wimbledon (4)	Herbert Lawford	6–0, 6–4, 9–7
1885	Wimbledon (5)	Herbert Lawford	7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 7–5
1886	Wimbledon (6)	Herbert Lawford	6–0, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4
1889	Wimbledon (7)	Ernest Renshaw	7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 7–5

Runner-ups (1)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1890	Wimbledon	Willoughby Hamilton	6–8, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1, 6–1

Doubles (5)

Wins (5)

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent in the final	Score in the final
1884	Wimbledon	Ernest Renshaw	Ernest Lewis E.L. Williams	6–3, 6–1, 1-6, 6-4
1885	Wimbledon (2)	Ernest Renshaw	C.E. Farrer A.J. Stanley	6–3, 6–3, 10-8
1886	Wimbledon (3)	Ernest Renshaw	C.E. Farrer A.J. Stanley	6–3, 6–3, 4-6, 7-5
1888	Wimbledon (4)	Ernest Renshaw	Herbert Wilberforce Patrick Bowes-Lyon	2-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
1889	Wimbledon (5)	Ernest Renshaw	Ernest Lewis George Hillyard	6–4, 6–4, 3-6, 0-6, 6-1

Grand Slam record

Wimbledon

• Singles champion: 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889
• Singles finalist: 1890
• Doubles champion: 1884, 1885, 1886, 1888, 1889