James Dwight
1887 ) |
James Dwight (July 14, 1852, France – July 13, 1917[2]) was an American tennis player who was known as the "Founding Father of American Tennis".[3]
Biography
Dwight won the first recorded tournament in the U.S. (and probably in the world, before the first Wimbledon Championships) played in August 1876 on the property of his uncle, William Appleton, at Nahant, Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard in 1874, he traveled in Europe, saw the new sport of lawn tennis being played, and brought the necessary equipment home. Then he persuaded his uncle to mark out a court on his smooth front lawn so he could play a game with his cousin Fred Sears.
That first attempt was disappointing. Dwight later wrote "we voted the whole thing a fraud and put it away." About a month later, they tried again as a way of passing time on a rainy day. This time, tennis seemed much more interesting, even though they were wearing rubber boots and raincoats. The 1876 tournament was a neighborhood affair: "it was played on handicap on a round robin basis. There were two players on scratch, James Dwight and Fred D Sears Jr., each of whom played against 11 other players until a final between them. Rackets scoring was used...Dwight beat Sears 12–15 15–7 15–13.[4] By then, Dwight and Sears had taught the game to a number of people, including Richard Dudley "Dick" Sears, another cousin, who went on to win the first seven national singles championships.
Dwight was one of the founders of the
His other career tournaments singles wins include the
He was inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1955.[6]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 runner-up)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1883 | U.S. National Championships |
Grass | ![]() |
2–6, 0–6, 7–9 |
Doubles (5 titles)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1882 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 6–4, 6–4 |
Win | 1883 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–0, 6–2, 6–2 |
Win | 1884 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–1, 8–10, 6–4 |
Win | 1886 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–0, 6–2 |
Win | 1887 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "Player – James Dwight". www.tennisarchives.com. Idzznew BV. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- ^ Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Volume 20, 1917 (retrieved 13 April 2015).
- ISBN 978-0803296930.
By 1886 Dwight was already considered the 'father of American lawn tennis.'
- ^ The Guinness book of Tennis Facts & Feats, 1983 edition, page 11, by Lance Tingay
- ISBN 978-1-937559-38-0.
- ISBN 9780810872370.
External links
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