A Grand Slam in the sport of real tennis is earned by a player who holds the following titles in the same calendar year:
The concept was borrowed from lawn tennis's Grand Slam. As not all events have been played in the same season, 1981 was the first year it was possible to attain all four major titles.
In 1984, Chris Ronaldson was the first to win the Grand Slam. In 2000 and 2001, Robert Fahey earned back-to-back Grand Slams, and earned a third Grand Slam in 2008. Camden Riviere earned Grand Slams in 2017 and 2019. For women, Charlotte Cornwallis completed it in 2006, [1] while Claire Fahey has done so on six occasions so in 2010, 2011, 2012 2014, 2017 and 2019.
Prior to 1979, the British Open Singles Championship was awarded to the winner of the Prince's Club Shield, including after the dissolution of the Prince's Club in 1940. The championship was held as a challenge event, where an event was only held should the incumbent title holder be challenged, as such it was not held annually. After the 1979 Championship between Howard Angus and Chris Ronaldson in a combined challenge for the World Championship, it was agreed that the British Open would continue as an annual event and that the World Championship would remain a challenge event.
Year | Australian Open | US Open | French Open | British Open |
---|---|---|---|---|
1919 | Not held | Jay Gould II | Not held | Not held |
1920 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
1921 | Not held | Jay Gould II | Not held | Not held |
1922-1930 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
1931 | Not held | Not held | Not held | E M Baerlein Ernest Willie Ratcliffe |
1932 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | William Groom |
1933 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1934 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | L Lees |
1935 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | L Lees |
1936 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1937 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1938 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Jim Dear |
1939 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1940 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1941 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1942 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1943 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1944 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1945 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1946 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1947 | Percy Finch | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1948 | A W Knight | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1949 | A W Knight | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1950 | A W Knight | Not held | Not held | Ronald Hughes |
1951 | A W Knight | Alastair Martin | Not held | Jim Dear |
1952 | Robert Baker | Not held | Not held | Ronald Hughes |
1953 | Robert Baker | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1954 | Robert Baker | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1955 | Robert Baker | Not held | Not held | Not challenged |
1956 | Robert Baker | Albert Johnson | Not held | Not challenged |
1957 | Robert Baker | Albert Johnson | Not held | Not challenged |
1958 | Robert Baker | Albert Johnson | Not held | Not challenged |
1959 | Robert Baker | Albert Johnson | Not held | Not challenged |
1960 | Robert Baker | James F.C. Bostwick | Not held | Not challenged |
1961 | Robert Baker | James F.C. Bostwick | Not held | Not challenged |
1962 | Robert Baker | James F.C. Bostwick | Not held | Ronald Hughes |
1963 | Robert Baker | Albert Johnson | Not held | Not challenged |
1964 | Robert Baker | R Hughes | Not held | Not challenged |
1965 | Robert Baker | Albert Johnson | Not held | Not challenged |
1966 | Robert Baker | James F.C. Bostwick | Not held | Not challenged |
1967 | Robert Baker | Eugene Scott | Not held | Frank Willis |
1968 | Barry Toates | Eugene Scott | Not held | Frank Willis |
1969 | Barry Toates | James F.C. Bostwick | Not held | Not challenged |
1970 | Barry Toates | James F.C. Bostwick | Not held | Howard R. Angus |
1971 | Barry Toates | G.H. Bostwick Jr. | Not held | Not challenged |
1972 | Barry Toates | James F.C. Bostwick | Not held | Howard R. Angus |
1973 | Barry Toates | Eugene Scott | Not held | Not challenged |
1974 | Barry Toates | Eugene Scott | Not held | Not challenged |
1975 | Barry Toates | Eugene Scott | Not held | Howard R. Angus |
1976 | Barry Toates | Eugene Scott | Not held | Howard R. Angus |
1977 | Chris Ronaldson (1/19) | Eugene Scott | Not held | Not challenged |
1978 | Chris Ronaldson (2/19) | James J. Burke Jr. | Not held | Not challenged |
1979 | Barry Toates | Barry Toates | Not held | Howard R. Angus [Note 1] |
1980 | Colin Lumley (1/2) | Chris Ronaldson (3/19) | Not held | Chris Ronaldson (4/19) |
1981 | Colin Lumley (2/2) | Graham Hyland (1/3) | Chris Ronaldson (5/19) | Chris Ronaldson (6/19) |
1982 | Chris Ronaldson (7/19) | Wayne Davies (1/16) | Chris Ronaldson (8/19) | Chris Ronaldson (9/19) |
1983 | Wayne Davies (2/16) | Wayne Davies (3/16) | Chris Ronaldson (10/19) | Chris Ronaldson (11/19) |
1984 | Chris Ronaldson (12/19) | Chris Ronaldson (13/19) | Chris Ronaldson (14/19) | Chris Ronaldson (15/19) |
1985 | Chris Ronaldson (16/19) | Wayne Davies (4/16) | Wayne Davies (5/16) | Chris Ronaldson (17/19) |
1986 | Lachlan Deuchar (1/13) | Chris Ronaldson (18/19) | Chris Ronaldson (19/19) | Lachlan Deuchar (2/13) |
1987 | Wayne Davies (6/16) | Graham Hyland (2/3) | Wayne Davies (7/16) | Lachlan Deuchar (3/13) |
1988 | Wayne Davies (8/16) | Wayne Davies (9/16) | Wayne Davies (10/16) | Lachlan Deuchar (4/13) |
1989 | Graham Hyland (3/3) | Wayne Davies (11/16) | Lachlan Deuchar (5/13) | Lachlan Deuchar (6/13) |
1990 | Lachlan Deuchar (7/13) | Wayne Davies (12/16) | Lachlan Deuchar (8/13) | Lachlan Deuchar (9/13) |
1991 | Wayne Davies (13/16) | Lachlan Deuchar (10/13) | Lachlan Deuchar (11/13) | Lachlan Deuchar (12/13) |
1992 | Julian Snow (1/8) | Lachlan Deuchar (13/13) | Julian Snow (2/8) | Julian Snow (3/8) |
1993 | Robert Fahey (1/50) | Robert Fahey (2/50) | Robert Fahey (3/50) | Julian Snow (4/8) |
1994 | Robert Fahey (4/50) | Wayne Davies (14/16) | Chris Bray (1/5) | Julian Snow (5/8) |
1995 | Frank Filippelli (1/1) | Wayne Davies (15/16) | Mike Gooding (1/3) | Robert Fahey (5/50) |
1996 | Robert Fahey (6/50) | Julian Snow (6/8) | Mike Gooding (2/3) | Mike Gooding (3/3) |
1997 | Robert Fahey (7/50) | Julian Snow (7/8) | Chris Bray (2/5) | Chris Bray (3/5) |
1998 | Robert Fahey (8/50) | Chris Bray (4/5) | Robert Fahey (9/50) | Julian Snow (8/8) |
1999 | Chris Bray (5/5) | Wayne Davies (16/16) | Robert Fahey (10/50) | James Male (1/1) |
2000 | Robert Fahey (11/50) | Robert Fahey (12/50) | Robert Fahey (13/50) | Robert Fahey (14/50) |
2001 | Robert Fahey (15/50) | Robert Fahey (16/50) | Robert Fahey (17/50) | Robert Fahey (18/50) |
2002 | Robert Fahey (19/50) | Robert Fahey (20/50) | not held | Tim Chisholm (1/5) |
2003 | Tim Chisholm (2/5) | Tim Chisholm (3/5) | Tim Chisholm (4/5) | Robert Fahey (21/50) |
2004 | Robert Fahey (22/50) | Tim Chisholm (5/5) | Robert Fahey (23/50) | Robert Fahey (24/50) |
2005 | Steve Virgona (1/7) | Robert Fahey (25/50) | Robert Fahey (26/50) | Robert Fahey (27/50) |
2006 | Ruaraidh Gunn (1/2) | Robert Fahey (28/50) | Robert Fahey (29/50) | Robert Fahey (30/50) |
2007 | Steve Virgona (2/7) | Robert Fahey (31/50) | Robert Fahey (32/50) | Robert Fahey (33/50) |
2008 | Robert Fahey (34/50) | Robert Fahey (35/50) | Robert Fahey (36/50) | Robert Fahey (37/50) |
2009 | Robert Fahey (38/50) | Camden Riviere (1/29) | Robert Fahey (39/50) | Robert Fahey (40/50) |
2010 | Ruaraidh Gunn (2/2) | James Stout (1/1) | Robert Fahey (41/50) | Robert Fahey (42/50) |
2011 | Steve Virgona (3/7) | Steve Virgona (4/7) | Robert Fahey (43/50) | Robert Fahey (44/50) |
2012 | Robert Fahey (45/50) | Bryn Sayers (1/2) | Camden Riviere (2/29) | Bryn Sayers (2/2) |
2013 | Steve Virgona (5/7) | Camden Riviere (3/29) | Camden Riviere (4/29) | Steve Virgona (6/7) |
2014 | Robert Fahey (46/50) | Camden Riviere (5/29) | Camden Riviere (6/29) | Camden Riviere (7/29) |
2015 | Camden Riviere (8/29) | Camden Riviere (9/29) | Robert Fahey (47/50) | Steve Virgona (7/7) |
2016 | Robert Fahey (48/50) | Camden Riviere (10/29) | Camden Riviere (11/29) | Camden Riviere (12/29) |
2017 | Camden Riviere (13/29) | Camden Riviere (14/29) | Camden Riviere (15/29) | Camden Riviere (16/29) |
2018 | Robert Fahey (49/50) | Camden Riviere (17/29) | Chris Chapman (1/3) | Robert Fahey (50/50) |
2019 | Camden Riviere (18/29) | Camden Riviere (19/29) | Camden Riviere (20/29) | Camden Riviere (21/29) |
2020 | Chris Chapman (2/3) | Camden Riviere (22/29) | Not held | Not held |
2021 | Not held | Camden Riviere (23/29) | Not held | John Lumley (1/3) |
2022 | John Lumley (2/3) | Camden Riviere (24/29) | Camden Riviere (25/29) | Camden Riviere (26/29) |
2023 | Chris Chapman (3/3) | Camden Riviere (27/29) | Nick Howell (1/1) | Camden Riviere (28/29) |
2024 | John Lumley (3/3) | Camden Riviere (29/29) |
Legend |
---|
Player won all 4 Grand Slam tournaments in the same year |
Player won 3 Grand Slam tournaments in the same year |
Player won 2 Grand Slam tournaments in the same year |
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United States, royal tennis in England and Australia, and courte-paume in France. Many French real tennis courts are at jeu de paume clubs.
Robert Leo Fahey, nicknamed "Bag", is an Australian real tennis player and the former World Champion of the sport, holding the title from 16 March 1994 to 21 May 2016 and again from 28 April 2018 to September 2022. Fahey retired from competitive Real Tennis following his loss to Camden Riviere in the 2022 World Championship.
The Real Tennis World Championship is the main competition in real tennis.
Tim Chisholm is a semi-retired American real tennis player. He is Racquets Director at The Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York.
Camden Riviere is an American left-handed real tennis player and current world champion. He became world champion on May 21, 2016, defeating long-time holder Robert Fahey 7 sets to 2 at Riviere's home court, the National Tennis Club, Newport, Rhode Island. Two years later, at Riviere's first defense of the title, Fahey reclaimed the title beating Riviere by 7 sets to 5 at Queen's Club, London. Riviere regained the title from Fahey at the 2022 World Championship played at Prested Hall in Feering, Essex, England, winning by 7 sets to 5. He retained the title in 2023, defeating John Lumley 7 sets to 3 at the Westwood Country Club in Vienna, Virginia.
The 2018 Real Tennis World Championship was a real tennis tournament held at the Queen's Club in London, England. 12-time world champion Rob Fahey regained the world title defeating the defending champion Camden Riviere by a score of 7–5.
The 2022 Real Tennis World Championship was a real tennis tournament held at Prested Hall in Feering, Essex, England in September 2022. Rob Fahey, the 13-time and reigning world champion, was beaten by the challenger, and former champion, Camden Riviere. The challenge had been originally scheduled to take place in April 2020, but was postponed to September 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2016 Real Tennis World Championship was a real tennis tournament held at the National Tennis Club in Newport, Rhode Island. 12-time world champion Rob Fahey lost the championship for the first time since 1994 to challenger Camden Riviere by a score of 7–2.
Claire Faheynée Vigrass is a British real tennis and rackets player and current real tennis Ladies World Champion. She holds over 40 Open singles titles and has completed a Grand Slam on five occasions. She is the first female player to play in the main draw of three of the four Men's Opens, and the first to female player to reach a semi final stage. She has also challenged for the Rackets World Championships on two occasions and has won five British Open Rackets titles.
John Colin Lumley is a British professional real tennis player currently ranked at number 2 in the world. He unsuccessfully challenged Camden Riviere for the 2023 Real Tennis World Championship at Westwood Country Club in Vienna, Virginia. He currently works as the assistant professional at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia.
The 2023 Real Tennis World Championship was a real tennis tournament held at the International Tennis Club of Washington in McLean, Virginia in September 2023. Reigning champion Camden Riviere was challenged by first-time challenger John Lumley. Riviere won his third World Championship title, and his first successful defense, defeating Lumley 7 sets to 3.
The 2023 Real Tennis British Open, branded as the Sir John Ritblat Foundation British Open for sponsorship reasons, was the 44th edition of the British Open since it became an annual event in 1979. The men's event was held at the Queen's Club in London between November 12-21, 2023 and was organised by the Tennis and Rackets Association, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2025 Real Tennis World Championship. The women's event was held at the Seacourt Tennis Club on Hayling Island between March 29 and April 2, 2023. The men's draw was the fourth and final grand slam event of the year.
The 2024 Court Tennis US Open was the 92nd edition of the US Open. The men's event was held at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia between February 20-29, 2024 and was organised by the United States Court Tennis Association, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2025 Real Tennis World Championship. The women's event was held at the Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York between May 17-19 2024. The men's draw was the second grand slam event of the year.
The 2023 French Open also known as the 2023 Open de France du Jeu de Paume was the 41st edition of the real tennis French Open. The event was held at the Société Sportive du Jeu de Paume & de Racquets in Paris between September 24 and October 1, 2023, and was organised by the Comité Français de Courte-Paume, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2025 Real Tennis World Championship. The event was held days after the 2023 Real Tennis World Championship meaning that world top 2 Camden Riviere and John Lumley were not in attendance. The men's draw was the third grand slam event of the year.
The 2022 Real Tennis British Open, branded as the Sir John Ritblat Foundation British Open for sponsorship reasons, was the 43rd edition of the British Open since it became an annual event in 1979. The men's event was held at the Queen's Club in London between November 13–22, 2022 and was organised by the Tennis and Rackets Association. It was the final qualifying event for the 2023 Real Tennis World Championship. The women's event was held at the Seacourt Tennis Club on Hayling Island between April 6–10, 2022. The men's draw was the fourth and final grand slam event of the year.
The 2023 Court Tennis US Open was the 91st edition of the US Open. The men's event was held at the Tennis and Racquet Club in Boston, Massachusetts between February 23-March 2, 2023 and was organised by the United States Court Tennis Association, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2025 Real Tennis World Championship. The women's event was held at the International Tennis Club of Washington at Westwood Country Club in McLean, Virginia between May 19-23 2024. The men's draw was the second grand slam event of the year.
Chris Chapman is an Australian professional real tennis player formerly ranked world number 3 and currently based at the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club. Chapman challenged for the Real Tennis World Championship on three occasions, reaching the Final Eliminator in 2020. Over his career, he won three Open singles titles, two at the Australian Open and one at the French Open. He also holds three four Open doubles titles. In 2023 during the British Open he announced his retirement from international competitions, although he still competes in Australian competitions.
The 2022 French Open also known as the 2022 Open de France du Jeu de Paume was the 40th edition of the real tennis French Open. The event was held at the Société Sportive du Jeu de Paume & de Racquets in Paris between September 24 and October 1, 2023, and was organised by the Comité Français de Courte-Paume, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2023 Real Tennis World Championship. It was the first edition of the event since 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 events being cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandmeic. The men's draw was the third grand slam event of the year.
The 2022 Court Tennis US Open was the 91st edition of the US Open. The men's event was held at the Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York between May 25-June 1, 2022 and was organised by the United States Court Tennis Association, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2023 Real Tennis World Championship. The women's event was held at the Tennis and Racquet Club in Boston, Massacheusetts between May 13-15 2024. The men's draw was the second grand slam event of the year.
Bryn Sayers is a British professional real tennis player currently ranked at number seven in the world. He unsuccessfully challenged for the Real Tennis World Championship on four occasions, reaching the Final Eliminator in 2014 against Camden Riviere. He holds two singles Open titles, having won both in 2012. He works as the senior professional at the Queen's Club in London.