Arthur Gore (tennis)

Arthur Gore

Full name	Arthur William Charles Wentworth Gore
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Born	(1868-01-02)2 January 1868 Lyndhurst, England
Died	1 December 1928(1928-12-01) (aged 60) Kensington, England
Turned pro	1888 (amateur tour)
Retired	1927
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	2006 (member page)
Singles
Career record	373–127 (74.6%) [1]
Career titles	51 [1]
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1901, ITHF ) [2]
Grand Slam singles results
Wimbledon	W (1901, 1908, 1909)
US Open	SF (1900)
Other tournaments
WHCC	2R (1912, 1914)
WCCC	1R (1921)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1909)
Other doubles tournaments
WHCC	F (1914)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	2R (1913, 1922)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1912)
Medal record Representing   Great Britain Tennis, Summer Olympics 1908 London Indoor Singles 1908 London Indoor Doubles

Arthur William Charles Wentworth Gore (2 January 1868 – 1 December 1928) was a British tennis player. ^[3]

He is best known for winning three singles titles at the Wimbledon Championship and was runner-up a record 5 times (shared with Herbert Lawford). He also won gold medals at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, winning the Men's Indoor Singles and the Men's Indoor Doubles (with Herbert Barrett). He also competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. ^[4] Gore's Wimbledon win in 1909, at age 41, makes him the oldest person to date to win a Grand Slam singles title. ^[5]

Early life

Gore was born in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, and grew up in France, the third son of Captain Augustus Frederick Wentworth Gore and Hon. Emily Anne Curzon. His father was the sole surviving son of noted novelist Catherine Gore and Charles Arthur Gore. ^[6] His mother was a member of the Curzon family, the daughter of MP Robert Curzon and granddaughter of Viscount Curzon. ^[7]

Career

He played his first tournament at London Athletic Club in 1887, ^[8] and his first title came at a grass court tournament in Stevenage in August 1888. ^[9] Gore won the singles title at the Scottish Championships in 1892 and successfully defended the title in the Challenge Round in 1893. ^[10] In 1894 he won the North London Championships ^[11] on grass, a tournament that he won five times (1894, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1906). ^[9] He won the singles title at the Kent Championships on two occasions; in 1900 by defeating Harold Mahony in the final in straight sets, and in 1906 against A.L. Bentley, also in straight sets. In 1904 he won the City of Paris Championships in Puteaux, Paris against Max Decugis. ^[12] and in 1906 against A.L. In 1900 and 1908 he won the singles title at the British Covered Court Championships, played at the Queen's Club in London.

In May 1908 he won the singles title at the British Covered Court Championships, played at the Queen's Club in London, defeating New Zealander Anthony Wilding in the Challenge Round in four sets. ^[13] Gore had the longest ever span (34 years) in the Wimbledon men's singles (he entered a record 30 times in singles from 1888 to 1922)., ^[14] In addition he also won the Leicestershire Championships three times (1913, 1914, 1919) and the Nottinghamshire Championships four times (1905, 1910, 1912, 1913). ^[9] He also holds the all-time record for the longest tennis career of any player between their first and last titles, that being 30 years, 11 months and one day. ^[15] Gore was a successful all surface player winning 51 singles titles and reaching the finals of 26 other tournaments on clay, grass and hard asphalt & wood courts from 1888 to 1919. ^[9]

Gore was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 8 (3 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	urface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1899	Wimbledon	Grass	Reginald Doherty	6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 3–6	[16]
Win	1901	Wimbledon	Grass	Reginald Doherty	4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4	[16]
Loss	1902	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 0–6	[16]
Loss	1907	Wimbledon	Grass	Norman Brookes	4–6, 2–6, 2–6	[16]
Win	1908	Wimbledon	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–4	[16]
Win	1909	Wimbledon	Grass	Major Ritchie	6–8, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2	[16]
Loss	1910	Wimbledon	Grass	Anthony Wilding	4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 2–6	[16]
Loss	1912	Wimbledon	Grass	Anthony Wilding	4–6, 4–6, 6–4, 4–6	[16]

Doubles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	urface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1908	Wimbledon	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	Major Ritchie Anthony Wilding	1–6, 2–6, 6–1, 7–9	[17]
Win	1909	Wimbledon	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	Stanley Doust Harry Parker	6–2, 6–1, 6–4	[17]
Loss	1910	Wimbledon	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	Major Ritchie Anthony Wilding	1–6, 1–6, 2–6	[17]

World Championships finals

Doubles

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1914	World Hard Court Championships	Clay	Algernon Kingscote	Max Decugis Maurice Germot	6–1, 11–9, 6–8, 6–2

Performance timeline

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: (W_C) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (F_A) all comers' finalist

	1888	1889	1890	1891	1892	1893	1894	1895	1896	1897	1898	1899	1900	1901	1902	1903	1904	1905	1906	1907	1908		1909	1910	1911	1912		1913	1914	1915	'16–'18	1919	1920	1921	1922	SR	W–L	Win %
Grand Slam tournaments																																				3 / 31	67–27	71.28
French	not held			only for French club members																																0 / 0	0–0	–
Wimbledon	2R	1R	1R	2R	QF	2R	1R	A	1R	2R	SF	CR	FA	WC	CR	2R	QF	SF	FA	F	W		WC	CR	4R	CR		4R	QF	not held		1R	2R	1R	1R	3 / 30	64–26	71.1
U.S.	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	4R	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A		A	A	A	A		A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 1	3–1	75.0
Australian	not held																	A	A	A	A		A	A	A	A		A	A	A	NH	A	A	A	A	0 / 0	0–0	–
Win–loss	0–1	0–1	0–1	1–1	2–1	1–1	0–1	0–0	0–1	1–0	3–1	5–1	7–2	6–0	0–1	1–1	2–1	4–1	5–1	5–1	6–0		1–0	0–1	3–1	6–1		3–1	4–1	0–0	0–0	0–1	1–1	0–1	0–1
National representation
Olympics	Not held								A	Not held			A	Not held			A	Not held			A	G	Not held			A	2R	Not held					A	Not held		1 / 2	3–2	60.0

Career finals

Gore at the 1912 World Hard Court Championships in Paris.

Singles 77 (51 titles, 26 runner-ups)

Legend Grand Slam/Important tournaments (3–5) Olympic Games (1–0)

Titles by surface Wood (6–5) Clay (11–1) Grass (32–18)

Titles by location Outdoors (45–21) Indoors (5–4)

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1.	1888	Stevenage LTC Championships	Grass	George Ernest Brown	0–6, 6–1, 6–4 [9]
Win	2.	1888	Hitchin LTC Championships	Grass	Arthur Hallward	3–6, 6–3, 6–3 [9]
Win	3.	1889	Dinard Challenge Cup	Clay	Réginald Forbes	6–4, 6–3, 6–3 [9]
Win	4.	1890	Chingford Open Championships [18]	Clay	Charles Gladstone Eames	3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2 [9]
Win	5.	1890	Dinard Challenge Cup	Clay	Horace Chapman	6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 6–4 [9]
Loss	1.	1891	Kent Championships	Grass	Ernest George Meers	0–6, 2–6, 2–6 [9]
Win	6.	1891	Chingford Open Championships	Clay	Charles G. Eames	10–12, 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–3 [9]
Win	7.	1891	Dinard Challenge Cup	Clay	Horace Chapman	11–9 ret. [9]
Win	8.	1892	Scottish Championships	Grass	Richard Millar Watson	6–3, 6–3, 6–0 [9]
Win	9.	1892	Chingford Open Championships	Clay	Charles G. Eames	6–4, 6–2, 6–1 [9]
Win	10.	1892	Dinard Challenge Cup	Clay	Archdale Palmer	6–3, 6–2, 1–6, 5–7, 6–3 [9]
Win	11.	1893	Scottish Championships	Grass	Richard Millar Watson	6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 7–5 [9]
Win	12.	1893	Dinard Challenge Cup	Clay	Archdale Palmer	3–6, 6–4, 0–6, 8–6, 6–3 [9]
Win	13.	1894	North London Championships	Grass	Arthur Hallward	4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2 [9]
Loss	3.	1896	North London Championships	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	3–6 4–6 6–3 2–6 [9]
Win	14.	1898	North London Championships	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 [9]
Win	15.	1898	Dinard Challenge Cup	Clay	E. K. Harvey	6–2, 6–2, 6–0 [9]
Loss	4.	1899	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Reginald Doherty	6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 3–6 [9]
Win	16.	1899	North London Championships	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	6–2, 8–6, 9–7 [9]
Loss	5.	1896	London Championships	Grass	Harold Mahony	10–8, 2–6, 5–7, 1–6 [9]
Loss	6.	1899	Dinard Challenge Cup	Clay	Harold Mahony	4–6 2–6 4–6 [9]
Win	17.	1900	British Covered Court Championships	Wood (i)	Major Ritchie	6–1, 7–5, 6–3 [9]
Loss	7.	1900	Irish Championships	Grass	Harold Mahony	4–6, 5–7, 9–7, 3–6 [9]
Loss	8.	1900	Middlesex Championships	Grass	Harold Mahony	2–6 4–6 2–6 [9]
Win	18.	1900	Kent Championships	Grass	Harold Mahony	6–4, 6–4, 6–4 [9]
Win	19.	1900	North London Championships	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	6–3, 6–4, 6–0 [9]
Loss	9.	1900	Queen's Club Championships	Grass	Arthur W. Lavy	6–0, 6–2, 6–3 [9]
Loss	10.	1901	British Covered Court Championships	Wood (i)	Laurence Doherty	3–6, 1–6, 1–6 [9]
Loss	11.	1901	Kent Championships	Grass	Laurence Doherty	1–6, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6 [9]
Win	20.	1901	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Reginald Doherty	4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4 [9]
Loss	12.	1902	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Laurence Doherty	4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 0–6 [9]
Loss	13.	1903	Kent Championships	Grass	Laurence Doherty	1–6, 2–6, 3–6 [9]
Win	21.	1903	All England Plate	Grass	Clarence Hobart	7–5, 6–3 [9]
Win	22.	1903	Etretat LTC Championships	Clay	Archdale Palmer	6–2, 6–3, 6–1 [9]
Win	23.	1903	London Covered Court Championships	Wood (i)	Major Ritchie	8–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–4 [9]
Win	24.	1904	Paris International Championships	Clay	Max Decugis	3–6, 5–7, 6–3, 7–5, 6–2 [9]
Loss	14.	1904	London Covered Court Championships	Wood (i)	Max Decugis	2–6 6–3, 6–0, 1–6, 4–6 [9]
Loss	15.	1905	Kent Championships	Grass	Norman Brookes	3–6, 7–9, 2–6 [9]
Win	25.	1905	East Surrey Championships	Grass	Anthony Wilding	6–3, 6–3, 6–1 [9]
Win	26.	1905	Nottinghamshire Championships	Grass	Roy Allen	w.o. [9]
Win	27.	1905	Crystal Palace Open	Grass	Anthony Wilding	6–4, 6–2. [9]
Win	28.	1905	Shanklin LTC Championships	Grass	Anthony Wilding	6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 6–1 [9]
Win	29.	1905	London Covered Court Championships	Wood (i)	Major Ritchie	2–6 6–3, 6–0, 1–6, 4–6 [9]
Loss	16.	1906	British Covered Court Championships	Wood (i)	Laurence Doherty	2–6, 4–6, 6–8 [9]
Win	30.	1906	East Surrey Championships	Grass	Sydney Adams	6–2, 6–3, 6–4 [9]
Win	31.	1906	Kent Championships	Grass	A. L. Bentley	6–0 6–2 6–1 [9]
Win	32.	1906	North London Championships	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	4–6, 7–5, 7–5, 3–0, ret. [9]
Win	33.	1906	Nottinghamshire Championships	Grass	Herbert Snook	6–2, 6–4, 6–3 [9]
Win	34.	1906	Crystal Palace Open	Grass	George Allen Thomas	6–1, 6–3 [9]
Win	35.	1906	Shanklin LTC Championships	Grass	George Caridia	6–1, 6–4, 6–4 [9]
Win	37.	1906	Sussex Championships	Grass	Major Ritchie	6–2, 6–3, 6–3 [9]
Win	38.	1907	Kent Coast Championships	Hard	Major Ritchie	7–5, 6–2, 4–6, ret. [9]
Win	39.	1907	Surrey Championships	Hard	Major Ritchie	6–3, 6–2, 6–3 [9]
Loss	17.	1906	East of Surrey Championships	Grass	Major Ritchie	6–0, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, 3–6 [9]
Loss	18.	1907	Kent Championships	Grass	Anthony Wilding	7–9, 2–6, 6–3, 6–0, 1–6 [9]
Loss	19.	1907	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Norman Brookes	4–6, 2–6, 2–6 [9]
Win	40.	1907	Shanklin LTC Championships	Grass	Charles Henry Ridding	7–5, 6–2, 6–1 [9]
Loss	20.	1907	Kent Coast Championships	Hard	Herbert Roper Barrett	4–6 4–6 6–4 7–9 [9]
Win	41.	1908	British Covered Court Championships	Wood (i)	Anthony Wilding	4–6, 8–6, 6–0, 8–6 [9]
Win	42.	1908	Olympic Championships	Wood (i)	George Caridia	6–3, 7–5, 6–4 [9]
Loss	21.	1908	Surrey Championships	Grass	Major Ritchie	3–6, 4–6, 2–6 [9]
Win	43.	1908	Northern Championships	Grass	James Cecil Parke	6–3, 4–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–4 [9]
Win	44.	1908	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Herbert Roper Barrett	6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–4 [9]
Loss	22.	1909	British Covered Court Championships	Hard (i)	Major Ritchie	5–7, 6–8, 3–6 [9]
Win	45.	1909	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Major Ritchie	6–8, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 [9]
Loss	23.	1910	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Anthony Wilding	4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 2–6 [9]
Win	46.	1910	Nottinghamshire Championships	Grass	?	? [9]
Win	47.	1911	Leicestershire Championships	Grass	Rodney Heath	6–4, 6–1 [9]
Loss	24.	1912	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Anthony Wilding	4–6, 4–6, 6–4, 4–6 [9]
Win	48.	1912	Nottinghamshire Championships	Grass	Charles P. Dixon	1–6, 11–9, 6–3 [9]
Loss	25.	1912	Kent Coast Championships	Hard	Theodore Mavrogordato	7–9, 6–8. ret. [9]
Win	49.	1913	Leicestershire Championships	Grass	George Hillyard	7–5, 4–6, ret. [9]
Loss	26.	1913	Nottinghamshire Championships	Grass	Stanley Doust	6–3, 3–6, 3-36, 9–7, 4–6 [9]
Win	50.	1914	Nottinghamshire Championships	Grass	Charles P. Dixon	6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 [9]
Win	51.	1919	Leicestershire Championships	Grass	George Fletcher	6–2, 6–2, 6–4 [9]

See also

• Gore–Wilding rivalry

References

1. "Arthur Gore:Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
2. International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee
3. "Arthur Gore". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
4. "Arthur Gore Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
5. "Wimbledon Men's Trivia". all-about-tennis.com. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
6. "Obituary: Mr. A. W. Gore". The Times . The Times Digital Archive. December 1928. p. 3.
7. "Marriages". The Times . The Times Digital Archive. 25 September 1861. p. 1.
8. "Arthur Gore: Hall of fame: Player Information". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
9. "Arthur Gore: Tournament results". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
10. Robertson, George (1995). Tennis in Scotland : 100 Years of the Scottish Lawn Tennis Association, 1895-1995. Edinburgh: SLTA. p. 269. ISBN   095257540X.
11. "TENNIS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tas. 7 June 1920. p. 3. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
12. "LAWN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PUTEAUX". The American Register via British Newspaper Archive . 24 July 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
13. "COVERED COURT TENNIS". The Advertiser . Adelaide. 7 May 1908. p. 7 – via National Library of Australia.
14. "GRAND SLAM TENNIS STATISTICS What are the men's singles Grand Slam records?". Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
15. Garcia, Gabriel. "Record: Longest Career between First and Last Title". app.thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
16. "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Singles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
17. "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Doubles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
18. "LAWN TENNIS. FIXTURES FOR JULY. 20. Galashiels. 2O. Leicester, Leicester Open. Chiswick (Middlesex Championships). 22. Chingford Open Championships, Connaught Grounds" . Sporting Life. London, England: British Newspaper Archive. 20 July 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2023.

Further reading

• Sculthorpe, Derek. Never Say Die Arthur 'Baby' Gore The Oldest Wimbledon Champion. Chichester, Pitch Publishing (2024) ISBN   978-1-80150-725-7

External links

• Arthur Gore at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Arthur Gore at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Arthur Gore at the International Tennis Federation
• Arthur Gore at the Davis Cup (archived)