The 1888 men's tennis season was a world wide tennis calendar composed of 129 major, national, professional, regional, provincial, state, county, city and regular tournaments.
The season began in January in Madras, India, and ended in December in Napier, New Zealand.
Season summary In 1888 the twelfth edition of the 1888 Wimbledon Championships was held, this saw the victory of Ernest Renshaw who defeated the Briton Ernest Wool Lewis in the final of the preliminary tournament by 7–9, 6–1, 8–6, 6–4 . Renshaw then defeated defending champion Herbert Lawford in the challenge round to claim the title for the first time. In the fourth edition of the men's doubles the brothers William Renshaw and Ernest RenshawGrasso (2011) regained the title they had not been able to defend the previous year by beating the title holders Herbert Wilberforce and Patrick Bowes-Lyon in the challenge round per 2–6, 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3.
At the eighth edition of the Irish Championships the Briton Ernest Renshaw defeated James Willoughby Hamilton 6-4 5-7 6-4 3-6 6–2 in the final. In the U.S. National Championships, (today known as the US Open) held on the grass courts of the Newport Casino in Newport in the United States, the American Henry Slocum prevailed in the men's singles, defeating his compatriot Howard Augustus Taylor in 3 sets in the final of the preliminary tournament with the score of 6-4 6-1 6–0. Richard Sears after his seventh consecutive victory at the US National Championships no longer participated in the tournament so the victory was awarded to Taylor without playing the challenge round. In addition to the men's singles tournament at the Staten Island Cricket Club in New York, the doubles tournament was also held where Oliver Campbell and Valentine Gill Hall prevailed, beating Edward MacMullen and Clarence Hobart in the final.
In the New South Wales Championships in Sydney, the Australian Dudley Webb prevailed in the men's singles, beating his compatriot Charles W. Cropper in the final. In the British Covered Court Championships in London, one of the earliest tournaments in tennis history to be played on indoor courts, Ernest Lewis prevailed in the men's singles defeating Ernest George Meers.
Season results Included: Notes 1: Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis (from 1877 through 1921), in some tournaments not all.* Indicates challenger
Notes 2:'This is an incomplete roll of tournaments staged this year
Key Major events National events Professional events World wide events
January No events
February No events
March EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemi-finalist Quarter-finalist8 MarTropical ChampionshipsSt. Augustine Lawn Tennis ClubSt. Augustine, United StatesWood (i) Singles - Doubles Henry Graff Trevor5 sets C.E. Garrett Challenger Thomas Sterling Beckwith 10 Mar Bombay Gymkhana Club TournamentBombay Gymkhana Club Bombay, IndiaGrass Singles - Doubles F. Ward2-6 6-5 6-3 T.C. Sangster George McMahon Mr. Agnew Turner
April
EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemi-finalist Quarter-finalist17 AprBritish Covered Court ChampionshipsLondon, Great BritainWood (i) Singles - Doubles Ernest Wool Lewis6–3, 6–0, 6–1 Ernest Meers
May EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemi-finalist Quarter-finalist1 MayNew South Wales ChampionshipsSydney, AustraliaSingles - Doubles Dudley Webb6–0, 6–4, 7–5 Charles W. Cropper 20 May. Ceylon ChampionshipsNuwara Eliya Lawn Tennis ClubNuwara Eliya, CeylonClaySingles – Doubles Charles Edward De Fonblanque 6-4 6-5 4-6 4-6 6-4 Edward George Farquharson L.E. Dalton Thomas W. Gallwey James Parsons Dove M. Findlay Edgar Vanderspar 21 MayIrish ChampionshipsDublin, IrelandSingles - Doubles Ernest Renshaw6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 Willoughby Hamilton 26 May.Fitzwilliam Club ChampionshipsFitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club Dublin, IrelandGrass Willoughby Hamilton 6-4 6-3 6-1 Harold Mahony J.F. Hughes J.T. Maxwell Ernest Henry Greene Charles Pierce Rowley James Edward Mahon C. RobertsChallenger Tom Campion 26 May West of Scotland ChampionshipsPollockshields Athletic ClubPollockshields ScotlandGrass J.B. Gray6–3, 8–6, 6–2 William Thomas Hendry C. Gray Anderson Steel Herbert Bowes-Lyon Richard Millar Watson Horatio R. Babington Peile G.H. Aitken 26 May.Western Counties ChampionshipPollockshields Athletic ClubPollockshields Scotland GrassSingles - Doubles Arthur Nevile John Story 6-2 2-6 6-3 8-6 Edward Barnard Fuller G. Scott-Jackson Richard Millar Watson John Adams James Cleland Burns R. Roxburgh E.W. Wyatt
June EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemi-finalist Quarter-finalist4 JunBroughty Ferry OpenBroughty Ferry LTCBroughty Ferry, Dundee, Angus, Scotland ClaySingles - Doubles Alfred Aitken Thomson6-3 8-6 3-6 7-5 Arthur Nevile John Story 4 JunMiddle States ChampionshipsHoboken, New Jersey, United StatesSingles - Doubles Edward Peale MacMullen6-0, 6–4, 0–6, 8-6 Robert Livingston Beeckman 4 JunWest of England ChampionshipsBath, Great BritainSingles - Doubles Harry S. Barlow 6–4, 6–3, 8–10, 3–6, 8–6 James Baldwin 9 Jun.Whitehouse OpenWhitehouse Lawn Tennis ClubEdinburgh, Lothian, ScotlandOutdoorClay Herbert Bowes-Lyon 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 Edward Barnard Fuller J.C. Huie Pat. Smith Stanley Riseley J.C.S. Sandeman Kenneth Sanderson Richard Millar WatsonChallenge round Archibald Thomson John Galbraith Horn Herbert Bowes-Lyon6-1, 0-6, 8-6, 6-4 Arthur Nevile John Story Arnold Wyersdale Blake Richard Millar Watson Ann Dod5-7, 6-3, 6-4 C.D. Murray Jane Ferguson 11 JunLawn Tennis Fixtures for 1888. London Evening Standard. British Newspaper Archive. 19 January 1888. p.3. Welsh ChampionshipsPenarth, Wales, Great BritainSingles - Doubles Willoughby Hamilton 6–1, 6–1, 6–0 Ernest de Sylly Hamilton Browne 11 JunLawn Tennis Fixtures for 1888. London Evening Standard. British Newspaper Archive. 19 January 1888. p.3.The John Player Nottingham Tennis Tournament: Record of Winners Nottingham Lawn Tennis Tournament (1887–1970)" (PDF).https://www.nottinghamcastleltc.co.uk/history/?d=John+Player+Nottingham+Tennis+Tournament+1971.pdf. Nottingham Castle LTC. Notts Lawn Tennis Association. 7 June 1971. pp. 1–7.Nottinghamshire Championships Nottingham, Great BritainSingles - Doubles Frederick William Snookw.o. Herbert Durrant Snook 11 JunLawn Tennis Fixtures for 1888. London Evening Standard. British Newspaper Archive. 19 January 1888. p.3.East Gloucestershire Championships Cheltenham, Great BritainSingles - Doubles Harry S. Barlow7-5 6-3 4-6 2-6 ret. Ernest de Sylly Hamilton Browne 13 JunWhittelsey, Joseph. Ed. Wright & Ditson Officially Adopted Lawn Tennis Guide. (1895) Sectional Championships. Wright & Ditson Publishing. Boston. Mass. p.65.Southern ChampionshipsBaltimore, Maryland, United StatesSingles - Doubles Alexander Hamilton Stump Post? Leigh Bonsal Rodmond Vernon Beach William Austin Tomes Charles L. McCauley Yates Pennington Oscar R. Woodward Leigh Bonsal L.V. Lemoyne 17 Jun Macclesfield Open Lawn Tennis Tournament Macclesfield LTCMacclesfield, Cheshire, EnglandOutdoorGrassSingles Henry Guy Nadin w.o. G.E. Lowe John Barlow Thistlethwaite G.H. Willoughby W. Burgess H.R. Greaves J.A. Rooke W. Twyford 18 JunLawn Tennis Fixtures for 1888. London Evening Standard. British Newspaper Archive. 19 January 1888. p.3.London ChampionshipsLondon, Great BritainSingles - Doubles Ernest Wool Lewis6-0 6-1 6-2 Harry S. Barlow 18 JunLawn Tennis Fixtures for 1888. London Evening Standard. British Newspaper Archive. 19 January 1888. p.3.Kent ChampionshipsBeckenham, Great BritainSingles - Doubles Ernest Meers5–7, 3–6, 9–7, 6–3, 6–2 Frederick A. Bowlby 18 JunLawn Tennis Fixtures for 1888. London Evening Standard. British Newspaper Archive. 19 January 1888. p.3.Northern ChampionshipsManchester, Great BritainSingles - Doubles Willoughby Hamilton 6-1 8-6 6-1 Harry Grove 21 Jun.Northumberland Cricket Club OpenHeaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, EnglandGrassSingles – Doubles Kenneth R. Marley6-1 6-2 6-2 Harold Gurney Pease George Bloomfield Garvey Harold King W. Armstrong Arthur Wellesley Hallward A. Jackson Wilson Pease 22 Jun.New England Championships New Haven LTCNew Haven, Connecticut United StatesSingles – Doubles Henry Slocum8-6 5-7 6-4 4-6 6-2 Oliver Samuel Campbell Francis Gibbons (Frank) Beach William Larned Thacher C.H. Ludington jr6 John W. Nichols Jr C.W. Pierson Albert Empie WrightChallenger Edward Peale MacMullen 25 Jun. Waterloo Tournament Waterloo Lawn Tennis ClubLiverpool, Great BritainGrassSingles – Doubles Jacob Gaitskell Brownw.o. Herbert ChippWilliam Parkfield Wethered Ernest Joseph Soares P.G. Hall Andrew Laurie Macfie G. Smith Beresford St. George Verschoyle 30 JunEdgbaston Open TournamentEdgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club Edgbaston, Warwickshire, England Grass Singles - Doubles James Baldwin7-9 6-0 6-2 6-4 Charles Hoadley Ashe Ross G.E. Lowe Frank Noon George Ernest Dixon Brown Marmaduke Strickland Constable John Redfern Deykin Noel Maitland Farrer John Redfern Deykin Maud Watson0-6 7-5 6-2 George Brown Bertha Steedman 30 Jun.Midland Counties ChampionshipsEdgbaston Cricket & Lawn Tennis ClubEdgbaston, EnglandGrassSingles – Doubles Harry Scrivener6-2 6-0 9-7 Henry Guy Nadin Francis Russell Burrow G.E. Lowe George Reston Brewerton W.R. Craig Percival Du Sautoy Leather Herbert Haden MoncktonChallenger John Redfern Deykin
July