Real Tennis World Championship

File:Real-Tennis-World-Championship-1890.jpg

Men's singles championship, Dublin, 1890.

The Real Tennis World Championship is the main competition in real tennis.

Men's singles in real tennis was the first world championship in any sport; it also predates the use of the term "real tennis," as the sport was called just "tennis" until lawn tennis gained popularity.

The first recorded champion was Clergé, The Elder in the 1740s.

Start year

1. Men's singles: 1740
2. Men's doubles: 2001
3. Women's singles: 1985
4. Women's doubles: 1985

Men's singles

This championship has always been on a challenge basis – the champion retains the title until losing an official challenge, except in cases where the champion has retired. Originally, the champion had the right to accept or reject a challenge, usually depending upon the prize money put up by the challenger's sponsor: several years could thus go by between challenge matches.

The top four ranked players in the world (excluding the champion himself) playoff for the right to challenge, with the champion and challenger playing a match of up to 13 sets over three days (4 sets, 4 sets and up to 5 sets on the final day). 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 world championship match was held in September 2025, with sets being played on 23 and 25 September (27 September, the scheduled third day, was unused) at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island

World men's singles champions

Year	Venue	Winner	Runner-Up	Scores	Notes
1740		Clergé, The Elder
1765		Raymond Masson
1785		Joseph Barcellon
1816	James Street, Haymarket	Marchisio	Philip Cox
1819	James Street, Haymarket	Philip Cox	Amédée Charrier
1829	James Street, Haymarket	Jacques Edmond Barre	Philip Cox
1862	James Street, Haymarket	Edmund Tompkins	Jacques Edmond Barre	1-0 (sets)	Barre retired due to injury
1871	N/A	George Lambert	N/A	N/A	claimed
1885	Hampton Court	Tom Pettitt	George Lambert	7-5 (sets)
1890	St Stephens Green, Dublin	Tom Pettitt	Charles Saunders	7-2 (sets)
1890	N/A	Charles Saunders	N/A	N/A	claimed
1895	Princes Club, Brighton	Peter Latham	Charles Saunders	7-2 (sets)
1898	Princes Club, Brighton	Peter Latham	Tom Pettitt	7-0 (sets)
1904	Princes Club, Brighton	Peter Latham	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	7-4 (sets)
1905	Queen's Club & Princes Club, Brighton	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	Peter Latham	5-1 (sets)
1906	Princes Club, Brighton	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	Ferdinand Garcin	7-4 (sets)
1907	Princes Club, Brighton	Peter Latham	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	7-3 (sets)
1908	N/A	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	N/A	N/A	claimed
1909	Princes Club, Brighton	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	Ted Johnson	7-2 (sets)
1910	Princes Club, Brighton	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	Fred Covey	7-6 (sets)
1912	Prince's Club, London	Fred Covey	Cecil 'Punch' Fairs	7-3 (sets)
1914	Philadelphia	Jay Gould II	Fred Covey	7-1 (sets)
1916	N/A	Fred Covey	N/A	N/A	claimed
1922	Prince's Club, London	Fred Covey	Walter Kinsella	7-3 (sets)
1923	Prince's Club, London	Fred Covey	Walter Kinsella	7-1 (sets)
1927	Prince's Club, London	Fred Covey	Pierre Etchebaster	7-4 (sets)
1928	Prince's Club, London	Pierre Etchebaster	Fred Covey	7-3 (sets)
1930	Prince's Club, London	Pierre Etchebaster	Walter Kinsella	7-1 (sets)
1937	Tuxedo Club	Pierre Etchebaster	Ogden Phipps	3-1 (sets)	Phipps retired due to injury
1948	New York	Pierre Etchebaster	Ogden Phipps	7-2 (sets)
1948	New York	Pierre Etchebaster	Jim Dear	7-4 (sets)
1949	New York	Pierre Etchebaster	Ogden Phipps	7-1 (sets)
1950	New York	Pierre Etchebaster	Alastair Martin	7-0 (sets)
1952	New York	Pierre Etchebaster	Alastair Martin	7-2 (sets)
1955	New York & Queen's Club	Jim Dear	Albert "Jack" Johnson	11-10 (sets)
1957	Queen's Club	Albert "Jack" Johnson	Jim Dear	7-3 (sets)
1959	New York	Northrup R. Knox	Albert "Jack" Johnson	7-2 (sets)
1966	New York	Northrup R. Knox	Ronald Hughes	7-0 (sets)
1968	New York	Northrup R. Knox	Pete Bostwick Jr.	7-2 (sets)
1969	New York & Manchester	Pete Bostwick Jr.	Frank Willis	11-8 (sets)
1970	New York	Pete Bostwick Jr.	Jimmy Bostwick	7-1 (sets)
1972	New York	Jimmy Bostwick	Pete Bostwick Jr.	7-2 (sets)
1974	New York	Jimmy Bostwick	Howard Angus	7-5 (sets)
1976	New York & Queen's Club	Howard Angus	Eugene Scott	11-4 (sets)
1977	Hampton Court	Howard Angus	Eugene Scott	7-2 (sets)
1979	Hampton Court	Howard Angus	Chris Ronaldson	7-0 (sets)
1981	Queen's Club	Chris Ronaldson	Howard Angus	6-1 (sets)	Angus retired due to injury
1983	Hampton Court	Chris Ronaldson	Wayne Davies	7-4 (sets)
1985	Queen's Club	Chris Ronaldson	Wayne Davies	7-1 (sets)
1987	Queen's Club	Wayne Davies	Chris Ronaldson	7-4 (sets)
1988	New York	Wayne Davies	Lachlan Deuchar	7-1 (sets)
1991	New York	Wayne Davies	Lachlan Deuchar	7-4 (sets)
1993	New York	Wayne Davies	Lachlan Deuchar	7-6 (sets)
1994	Hobart & New York	Robert Fahey	Wayne Davies	9-5 (sets)
1995	Hobart	Robert Fahey	Wayne Davies	6-2 (sets)	Davies retired due to injury
1996	Melbourne	Robert Fahey	Wayne Davies	7-1 (sets)
1998	Melbourne	Robert Fahey	Julian Snow	7-4 (sets)
2000	Hobart	Robert Fahey	Wayne Davies	7-0 (sets)
2002	Hampton Court	Robert Fahey	Tim Chisholm	7-6 (sets)
2004	Newport, Rhode Island	Robert Fahey	Tim Chisholm	7-1 (sets)
2006	Oratory	Robert Fahey	Tim Chisholm	7-0 (sets)
2008	Fontainebleau	Robert Fahey	Camden Riviere	7-5 (sets)
2010	Melbourne	Robert Fahey	Steve Virgona	7-2 (sets)
2012	Queen's Club	Robert Fahey	Steve Virgona	7-3 (sets)
2014	Melbourne	Robert Fahey	Camden Riviere	7-3 (sets)
2016	Newport, Rhode Island	Camden Riviere	Robert Fahey	7-2 (sets)
2018	Queen's Club	Robert Fahey	Camden Riviere	7-5 (sets)
2022	Prested Hall	Camden Riviere	Robert Fahey	7-5 (sets)
2023	Vienna, Virginia	Camden Riviere	John Lumley	7-3 (sets)
2025	Newport, Rhode Island	Camden Riviere	John Lumley	7-1 (sets)

Men's doubles

The men's doubles title is earned in a tournament with the sport's four top-ranked pairings (changed down from eight in 2022). 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 nine sets format.

After the first championship was won by Tim Chisholm and Julian Snow, the title was won and then defended five times by singles world champion Rob Fahey and Steve Virgona. They lost their title in the final set of the final match in 2015, in a championship held at Prested Hall (UK).

The title now belongs to Camden Riviere and Tim Chisholm.

Year	Venue	Winners	Runners-Up	Scores	Notes
2001	Middlesex University	Tim Chisholm/ Julian Snow	Steve Virgona/ Ruraidh Gunn	5-1 (sets)
2003	Hobart	Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona	Tim Chisholm/ Josh Bainton	5-0 (sets)
2005	Fontainebleau	Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona	David Woodman/ Neil Roxburgh	5-0 (sets)
2007	Boston	Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona	Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere	5-3 (sets)
2009	Seacourt	Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona	Bryn Sayers/ Ricardo Smith	5-0 (sets)
2011	Melbourne	Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona	Ben Taylor-Matthews/ Julian Snow	5-0 (sets)
2013	Paris	Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona	Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere	5-4 (sets)
2015	Tuxedo	Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere	Robert Fahey/ Steve Virgona	5-0 (sets)
2017	Prested Hall	Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere	Robert Fahey/ Ricardo Smith	5-4 (sets)
2019	Hobart	Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere	Robert Fahey/ Nick Howell	5-1 (sets)
2022	Bordeaux	Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere	John Lumley/ Steve Virgona	6/4 6/3 6/3 6/4 2/6 3/6 6/4
2024	Chicago	Tim Chisholm/ Camden Riviere	John Lumley/ Steve Virgona	5-2 (sets)

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. Since 2011, the title has been held by Claire Fahey (née Vigrass).

Year	Venue	Winner	Runner-Up	Scores
1985	Melbourne	Judith Clarke	Lesley Ronaldson	2-1 (sets)
1987	Seacourt	Judith Clarke	Katrina Allen	2-0 (sets)
1989	Philadelphia	Penny Fellows	Sally Jones	2-1 (sets)
1991	Hobart	Penny Lumley (née Fellows)	Sally Jones	2-1 (sets)
1993	Bordeaux	Sally Jones	Charlotte Cornwallis	5/6 6/2 6/3
1995	Newport	Penny Lumley (née Fellows)	Sue Haswell	2-1 (sets)
1997	Ballarat	Penny Lumley (née Fellows)	Sue Haswell	2-0 (sets)
1999	Hampton Court	Penny Lumley (née Fellows)	Sue Haswell	2-1 (sets)
2001	Washington	Charlotte Cornwallis	Penny Lumley (née Fellows)	2-0 (sets)
2003	Melbourne	Penny Lumley (née Fellows)	Charlotte Cornwallis	2-0 (sets)
2005	Paris	Charlotte Cornwallis	Jo Iddles	2-0 (sets)
2007	Manchester	Charlotte Cornwallis	Penny Lumley (née Fellows)	2-0 (sets)
2009	Newport	Charlotte Cornwallis	Karen Hird	2-0 (sets)
2011	Melbourne	Claire Vigrass	Karen Hird	2-0 (sets)
2013	Paris	Claire Vigrass	Sarah Vigrass	2-0 (sets)
2015	Leamington	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)	Sarah Vigrass	2-0 (sets)
2017	Tuxedo	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)	Sarah Vigrass	2-0 (sets)
2019	Ballarat	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)	Isabel Candy	2-0 (sets)
2022	Fontainebleau	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)	Lea van der Zwalmen	2-0 (sets)
2023	Oratory	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)	Lea van der Zwalmen	2-0 (sets)
2025	Newport	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)	Lea van der Zwalmen	6-0 6-2 6-0

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.

Year	Venue	Winner	Runner-Up	Scores
1985	Melbourne	Judith Clarke/Ann Link	Lesley Ronaldson/ Karen Toates	2-0 (sets)
1987	Seacourt	Lesley Ronaldson/ Katrina Allen	Judith Clarke/ Jane Hyland	2-0 (sets)
1989	Philadelphia	Sally Jones/ Alex Garside	Katrina Allen/ Penny Fellows	2-1 (sets)
1991	Hobart	Sally Jones/ Alex Garside	Penny Lumley/ Helen Mursell	2-0 (sets)
1993	Bordeaux	Charlotte Cornwallis/ Penny Lumley	Sally Jones/ Alex Garside	6/0 6/4
1995	Newport, Rhode Island	Sue Haswell/ Penny Lumley	Sally Jones/ Lesley Ronaldson	2-1 (sets)
1997	Ballarat	Sue Haswell/ Penny Lumley	Fiona Deuchar/ Kate Leeming	2-0 (sets)
1999	Hampton Court	Sue Haswell/ Penny Lumley	Alex Garside/ Sally Jones	2-1 (sets)
2001	Washington	Jo Iddles/ Penny Lumley	Alex Garside/ Charlotte Cornwallis	2-1 (sets)
2003	Melbourne	Jo Wood (née Iddles)/ Penny Lumley	Alex Garside/ Kate Leeming	2-1 (sets)
2005	Paris	Charlotte Cornwallis/ Sue Haswell	Frederika Adam/ Susay Castley	2-0 (sets)
2007	Manchester	Charlotte Cornwallis/ Penny Lumley	Sue Haswell/ Kate Leeming	2-0 (sets)
2009	Newport, Rhode Island	Charlotte Cornwallis/ Karen Hird	Amy Hayball/ Juliette Lambert	2-0 (sets)
2011	Melbourne	Claire Vigrass/ Sarah Vigrass	Karen Hird/ Rosie Snell	2-0 (sets)
2013	Paris	Claire Vigrass/ Sarah Vigrass	Penny Lumley/ Tara Lumley	2-0 (sets)
2015	Leamington	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Sarah Vigrass	Penny Lumley/ Tara Lumley	2-0 (sets)
2017	Tuxedo Club	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Sarah Vigrass	Amanda Avedissian/ Saskia Bollerman	2-0 (sets)
2019	Ballarat	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Tara Lumley	Penny Lumley/ Kate Leeming	2-0 (sets)
2022	Fontainebleau	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Sarah Vigrass	Saskia Bollerman/ Isabel Candy	2-0 (sets)
2023	Oratory	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Tara Lumley	Lea van der Zwalmen/ Saskia Bollerman	2-0 (sets)
2025	Newport	Claire Fahey (née Vigrass)/ Tara Lumley	Lea van der Zwalmen/ Margaux Randjbar	6-2 6-4 6-3

See also

• Grand Slam (real tennis)
• Rackets World Championships
• Jeu de paume
• Longue paume
• Padel World Championship
• 2025 FIP calendar

References

Sources

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

External links

• Sports123.com: Real Tennis champions Archived 2005-03-26 at the Wayback Machine
• Real Tennis & Rackets World Champion Howard Angus