Ernest Renshaw

Summary

Ernest James Renshaw (3 January 1861 – 2 September 1899) was a British tennis player who was active in the late 19th century.

Ernest Renshaw
Full nameErnest James Renshaw
Country (sports) United Kingdom
Born(1861-01-03)3 January 1861
Leamington, Warwickshire, England
Died2 September 1899(1899-09-02) (aged 38)
Waltham St. Lawrence, Berkshire, England
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro1879 (amateur tour)
Retired1897
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1983 (member page)
Singles
Career titles14[1]
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1887, ITHF)[2]
Grand Slam singles results
WimbledonW (1888)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
WimbledonW (1884, 1885, 1886, 1888, 1889)
Tennis players William and Ernest Renshaw at Wimbledon, 1882

Together with his twin brother William Renshaw, Ernest won the men's doubles at Wimbledon five times. He also won the singles championship at Wimbledon once, in 1888 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983.[3] He won the singles title at the Irish Championships on four occasions (1883, 1887, 1888, 1892). Ernest was the older of the brothers by 15 minutes and half an inch taller.

The boom in popularity of the game during the 1880s due to the modern tennis style of the Renshaw brothers became known as the 'Renshaw Rush'.[4]

Death edit

He died of the effects of carbolic acid, but evidence could not prove whether it had been taken intentionally or not.[5]

In 1983, Ernest Renshaw was elected posthumously into the International Tennis Hall of Fame together with his brother.[2] In 2020, a street in Leamington Spa was named after his brother and him, Renshaw Drive.

Grand Slam finals edit

Singles (1 title, 4 runners-up) edit

Result Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1882 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw 6–1, 2–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2
Loss 1883 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw 2–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3
Loss 1887 Wimbledon Grass   Herbert Lawford 1–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4
Win 1888 Wimbledon Grass   Herbert Lawford 6–3, 7–5, 6–0
Loss 1889 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw 6–4, 6–1, 3–6, 6–0

Doubles (5 titles) edit

Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1884 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw   Ernest Lewis
  E.L. Williams
6–3, 6–1, 1–6, 6–4
Win 1885 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw   C.E. Farrer
  A.J. Stanley
6–3, 6–3, 10–8
Win 1886 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw   C.E. Farrer
  A.J. Stanley
6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5
Win 1888 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw   Herbert Wilberforce
  Patrick Bowes-Lyon
2–6, 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3
Win 1889 Wimbledon Grass   William Renshaw   Ernest Lewis
  George Hillyard
6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 0–6, 6–1

Performance timeline edit

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Events with a challenge round: (WC) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (FA) all comers' finalist

(OF) only for French club members

1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 SR W–L Win %
Grand Slam tournaments 1 / 12 32–11 74.4
French Not held OF OF OF 0 / 0
Wimbledon A A A QF 3R CR CR SF FA QF F WC CR A SF A 2R 1 / 12 32–11 74.4
U.S. NH NH NH NH A A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 0
Australian Not held 0 / 0
Win–loss 3–1 2–1 5–1 4–1 3–1 4–1 2–1 2–1 5–0 0–1 2–1 0–1

References edit

  1. ^ "James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw: Stats". tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Hall of Famers – Ernest Renshaw". International Tennis Hall of Fame.
  3. ^ "Wimbledon players archive – Ernest Renshaw". AELTC.
  4. ^ "Wimbledon - the grandest of the Grand Slams". The Times of India. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Ernest Renshaw's GS Performance Timeline & Stats".

External links edit