Arthur Gore (tennis)

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

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. Gore's Wimbledon win in 1909, at age 41, makes him the oldest person to date to win a Grand Slam singles title.

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. His mother was a member of the Curzon family, the daughter of MP Robert Curzon and granddaughter of Viscount Curzon.

Career He played his first tournament at London Athletic Club in 1887, and his first title came at a grass court tournament in Stevenage in August 1888. Gore won the singles title at the Scottish Championships in 1892 and successfully defended the title in the Challenge Round in 1893. In 1894 he won the North London Championships on grass, a tournament that he won five times (1894, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1906). 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. 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. 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)., In addition he also won the Leicestershire Championships three times (1913, 1914, 1919) and the Nottinghamshire Championships four times (1905, 1910, 1912, 1913). 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. 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.

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

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 8 (3 titles, 5 runner-ups) ResultYearChampionshipurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1899 Wimbledon Grass Reginald Doherty 6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 3–6 Win 1901 Wimbledon Grass Reginald Doherty 4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4 Loss 1902 Wimbledon Grass Laurence Doherty 4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 0–6 Loss 1907 Wimbledon Grass Norman Brookes 4–6, 2–6, 2–6 Win 1908 Wimbledon Grass Herbert Roper Barrett 6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–4 Win 1909 Wimbledon Grass Major Ritchie 6–8, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 Loss 1910 Wimbledon Grass Anthony Wilding 4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 2–6 Loss 1912 Wimbledon Grass Anthony Wilding 4–6, 4–6, 6–4, 4–6

Doubles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups) ResultYearChampionshipurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1908 Wimbledon Grass Herbert Roper Barrett Major Ritchie Anthony Wilding 1–6, 2–6, 6–1, 7–9 Win 1909 Wimbledon Grass Herbert Roper Barrett Stanley Doust Harry Parker 6–2, 6–1, 6–4 Loss 1910 Wimbledon Grass Herbert Roper Barrett Major Ritchie Anthony Wilding 1–6, 1–6, 2–6

World Championships finals

Doubles

ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScore Loss 1914 World Hard Court Championships Clay Algernon Kingscote Max Decugis Maurice Germot 6–1, 11–9, 6–8, 6–2

Performance timeline

Events with a challenge round: (WC) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (FA) 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 71.28French not held only for French club members0 / 00–0–Wimbledon2R1R1R2RQF2R1R A1R2RSFCRFAWCCR2RQFSFFAFWWCCR4RCR4RQF not held1R2R1R1R3 / 3064–2671.1U.S. A A A A A A A A A A A A4R A A A A A A AA A A AA A A A A A A A A0 / 13–175.0Australian not held A A AA A A AA A A A NH A A A A0 / 00–0–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 5–16–0 1–0 0–1 3–16–1 3–1 4–1 0–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 0–1 0–1 National representationOlympicsNot heldANot heldANot heldANot heldAGNot heldA2RNot heldANot held1 / 23–260.0

Career finals

Singles 77 (51 titles, 26 runner-ups) LegendGrand Slam/Important tournaments (3–5)Olympic Games (1–0)Titles by surfaceWood (6–5)Clay (11–1)Grass (32–18)Titles by locationOutdoors (45–21)Indoors (5–4)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreWin1.1888Stevenage LTC ChampionshipsGrass George Ernest Brown0–6, 6–1, 6–4Win2.1888Hitchin LTC ChampionshipsGrass Arthur Hallward3–6, 6–3, 6–3Win3.1889Dinard Challenge CupClay Réginald Forbes6–4, 6–3, 6–3Win4.1890Chingford Open ChampionshipsClay Charles Gladstone Eames3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2Win5.1890Dinard Challenge CupClay Horace Chapman6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 6–4Loss1.1891Kent ChampionshipsGrass Ernest George Meers0–6, 2–6, 2–6Win6.1891Chingford Open ChampionshipsClay Charles G. Eames10–12, 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–3Win7.1891Dinard Challenge CupClay Horace Chapman11–9 ret.Win8.1892Scottish ChampionshipsGrass Richard Millar Watson6–3, 6–3, 6–0Win9.1892Chingford Open ChampionshipsClay Charles G. Eames6–4, 6–2, 6–1Win10.1892Dinard Challenge CupClay Archdale Palmer6–3, 6–2, 1–6, 5–7, 6–3Win11.1893Scottish ChampionshipsGrass Richard Millar Watson6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 7–5Win12.1893Dinard Challenge CupClay Archdale Palmer3–6, 6–4, 0–6, 8–6, 6–3Win13.1894North London ChampionshipsGrass Arthur Hallward4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2Loss3.1896North London ChampionshipsGrass Herbert Roper Barrett3–6 4–6 6–3 2–6Win14.1898North London ChampionshipsGrass Herbert Roper Barrett6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3Win15.1898Dinard Challenge CupClay E. K. Harvey6–2, 6–2, 6–0Loss4.1899Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Reginald Doherty6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 3–6Win16.1899 North London Championships Grass Herbert Roper Barrett6–2, 8–6, 9–7Loss5.1896London ChampionshipsGrass Harold Mahony10–8, 2–6, 5–7, 1–6Loss6.1899Dinard Challenge CupClay Harold Mahony4–6 2–6 4–6Win17.1900British Covered Court ChampionshipsWood (i) Major Ritchie6–1, 7–5, 6–3Loss7.1900Irish ChampionshipsGrass Harold Mahony4–6, 5–7, 9–7, 3–6Loss8.1900Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Harold Mahony2–6 4–6 2–6Win18.1900Kent ChampionshipsGrass Harold Mahony6–4, 6–4, 6–4Win19.1900 North London Championships Grass Herbert Roper Barrett6–3, 6–4, 6–0Loss9.1900Queen's Club ChampionshipsGrass Arthur W. Lavy6–0, 6–2, 6–3Loss10.1901British Covered Court ChampionshipsWood (i) Laurence Doherty3–6, 1–6, 1–6Loss11.1901Kent ChampionshipsGrass Laurence Doherty1–6, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6Win20.1901Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Reginald Doherty4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4Loss12.1902Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Laurence Doherty4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 0–6Loss13.1903Kent Championships Grass Laurence Doherty1–6, 2–6, 3–6Win21.1903All England Plate Grass Clarence Hobart7–5, 6–3Win22.1903Etretat LTC Championships Clay Archdale Palmer6–2, 6–3, 6–1Win23.1903London Covered Court Championships Wood (i) Major Ritchie8–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–4Win24.1904Paris International Championships Clay Max Decugis3–6, 5–7, 6–3, 7–5, 6–2Loss14.1904 London Covered Court Championships Wood (i) Max Decugis2–6 6–3, 6–0, 1–6, 4–6Loss15.1905Kent ChampionshipsGrass Norman Brookes3–6, 7–9, 2–6Win25.1905East Surrey Championships Grass Anthony Wilding6–3, 6–3, 6–1Win26.1905Nottinghamshire Championships Grass Roy Allenw.o.Win27.1905Crystal Palace Open Grass Anthony Wilding6–4, 6–2.Win28.1905Shanklin LTC Championships Grass Anthony Wilding6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 6–1Win29.1905 London Covered Court Championships Wood (i) Major Ritchie2–6 6–3, 6–0, 1–6, 4–6Loss16.1906British Covered Court ChampionshipsWood (i) Laurence Doherty2–6, 4–6, 6–8Win30.1906East Surrey Championships Grass Sydney Adams6–2, 6–3, 6–4Win31.1906Kent ChampionshipsGrass A. L. Bentley6–0 6–2 6–1Win32.1906 North London Championships Grass Herbert Roper Barrett4–6, 7–5, 7–5, 3–0, ret.Win33.1906Nottinghamshire Championships Grass Herbert Snook6–2, 6–4, 6–3Win34.1906Crystal Palace Open Grass George Allen Thomas6–1, 6–3Win35.1906Shanklin LTC ChampionshipsGrass George Caridia6–1, 6–4, 6–4Win37.1906Sussex ChampionshipsGrass Major Ritchie6–2, 6–3, 6–3Win38.1907Kent Coast ChampionshipsHard Major Ritchie7–5, 6–2, 4–6, ret.Win39.1907Surrey ChampionshipsHard Major Ritchie6–3, 6–2, 6–3Loss17.1906East of Surrey ChampionshipsGrass Major Ritchie6–0, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, 3–6Loss18.1907Kent ChampionshipsGrass Anthony Wilding7–9, 2–6, 6–3, 6–0, 1–6Loss19.1907 Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Norman Brookes4–6, 2–6, 2–6Win40.1907Shanklin LTC ChampionshipsGrass Charles Henry Ridding7–5, 6–2, 6–1Loss20.1907Kent Coast ChampionshipsHard Herbert Roper Barrett4–6 4–6 6–4 7–9Win41.1908British Covered Court ChampionshipsWood (i) Anthony Wilding4–6, 8–6, 6–0, 8–6Win42.1908Olympic ChampionshipsWood (i) George Caridia6–3, 7–5, 6–4Loss21.1908Surrey ChampionshipsGrass Major Ritchie3–6, 4–6, 2–6Win43.1908Northern ChampionshipsGrass James Cecil Parke6–3, 4–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–4Win44.1908 Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Herbert Roper Barrett6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–4Loss22.1909British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard (i) Major Ritchie5–7, 6–8, 3–6Win45.1909 Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Major Ritchie6–8, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2Loss23.1910 Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Anthony Wilding4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 2–6Win46.1910Nottinghamshire ChampionshipsGrass??Win47.1911Leicestershire ChampionshipsGrass Rodney Heath6–4, 6–1Loss24.1912 Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Anthony Wilding4–6, 4–6, 6–4, 4–6Win48.1912Nottinghamshire ChampionshipsGrass Charles P. Dixon1–6, 11–9, 6–3Loss25.1912Kent Coast ChampionshipsHard Theodore Mavrogordato7–9, 6–8. ret.Win49.1913Leicestershire ChampionshipsGrass George Hillyard7–5, 4–6, ret.Loss26.1913Nottinghamshire ChampionshipsGrass Stanley Doust6–3, 3–6, 3-36, 9–7, 4–6Win50.1914Nottinghamshire ChampionshipsGrass Charles P. Dixon6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4Win51.1919Leicestershire ChampionshipsGrass George Fletcher 6–2, 6–2, 6–4

Arthur Gore (tennis)

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