Full name | Steven Virgona |
---|---|
Country (sports) | Australia |
Residence | United States |
Plays | Left-handed |
Club | Racquet Club of Chicago |
World Championships | |
Open Singles | Challenger (2010, 2012) |
Open Doubles | W (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013) |
Singles | |
Career titles | 7 |
Current ranking | 6 |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | W (2005, 2007, 2011, 2013) |
British Open | W (2013, 2015) |
French Open | F (2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2023) |
US Open | W (2011) |
Doubles | |
Career titles | 26 |
Current ranking | 7 |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | W (1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2024) |
French Open | W (2009, 2010, 2023) |
British Open | W (1999, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015) |
US Open | W (1998, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) |
Steve Virgona (born 25 September 1978) is an Australian professional real tennis player based in Chicago. [1] As of 2017 [update] , he is ranked number three in the world. [2] Virgona's victories include the Australian Open (four times), the British Open (twice) and the US Open.
Virgona started his career as a professional at the Ballarat real tennis club before moving to Melbourne at the age of 18. Steve gained much success early by playing doubles, and reaching the final of the British Open in 2001 and winning the doubles at the 1998 US Open. Virgona worked as a professional in London, primarily at the Burroughs club, before moving back to Melbourne in 2004. After securing a position in Philadelphia in 2006, Virgona's tennis improved markedly and his ranking rose to world number 2. He defeated world champion Robert Fahey twice in 2006, but lost his world championship campaign to Tim Chisholm that year. [3]
Steve's tennis continued to improve, winning the Australian Open, and entered the 2008 world championships as the favourite to challenge Fahey. He lost narrowly to Camden Riviere in the final eliminator, and got revenge soon after in the US Open.
In 2010, he won the US Open doubles championship, partnered by Ben Matthews.
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.
Tim Chisholm is a semi-retired American real tennis player. He is Racquets Director at The Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York.
A Grand Slam in the sport of real tennis is earned by a player who holds the following titles in the same calendar year:
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.
Ben Taylor-Matthews is a professional British Real Tennis player based at Bristol Real Tennis Club. His career high ranking is world number 4, and his current ranking is 5. To date, he is yet to win a major singles title but has contested two Australian Open finals, as well as an IRTPA Championships final, plus a Champions Trophy final. He unsuccessfully challenged for the World Championship on three occasions, most recently in 2023.
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 calendar year Grand Slam on six 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.
Nick Howell is a professional real tennis player based at the Aiken Tennis Club in Aiken, South Carolina. Howell currently ranked number 3 in the world in both singles and doubles and won the French Open in 2023. Howell has challenged for the Real Tennis World Championship on two occasions, playing in the First Round Eliminator in 2020 and the Final Eliminator in 2023.
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 2024 Real Tennis Australian Open was the 92nd edition of the Australian Open. The men's event was held at the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club in Melbourne between January 2-9, 2024 and was organised by the Australian Real Tennis Association, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2025 Real Tennis World Championship. It was held concurrently with the 2024 Boomerang Cup. The women's event was held at the Hobart Real Tennis Club between March 18-23 2024. The women's event was held at a later time to align with the 2024 Bathurst Cup, hosted at the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club in March. The men's draw was the first 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.
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.
The 2024 Real Tennis World Doubles Championship was the 12th edition of the real tennis World Doubles Championship and was held at the Racquet Club of Chicago from April 24-28th 2024. The event was won by defending champions Tim Chisholm and Camden Riviere representing the United States. It was their fifth consecutive title, with Chisholm equalling Robert Fahey and Steve Virgona with 6 overall titles.
The 2024 French Open also known as the 2024 Open de France du Jeu de Paume was the 42nd 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 22 and 29, 2024, and was organised by the Comité Français de Courte-Paume, forming part of the qualifying series for the 2025 Real Tennis World Championship. The men's draw was the third grand slam event of the year. It was the first French Open to be played without the pass rule.
Leon Smart is an professional British real tennis player currently based at the Tennis and Racquet Club in Boston, Massachusetts. He is currently ranked seventh in the world at singles and tenth at doubles. His best result was reaching the semi finals of the US Open singles in 2022 and the French Open singles in 2024.
The 2015 Real Tennis British Open was the 37th 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 15–24, 2015 and was organised by the Tennis and Rackets Association. The qualifying tournament was held on Novemebr 11–12 at Radley College. It was the final event in the qualifying series for the 2016 Real Tennis World Championship. The women's event was held at the Seacourt Tennis Club on Hayling Island between April 8–12, 2015. The men's draw was the fourth and final grand slam event of the year.
Kieran Booth is an amateur Australian real tennis player currently based at the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club. He has won the Australian Open doubles on four occasions, most recently in 2022. He reached the final of the Australian Open singles in 2020, and semi-finals at the French and US Open. Booth is also the current Australian Amateur Champion, having won the title 12 times.