Grand slams won (singles) 3 Wimbledon W (1891, 1892, 1895) Retired 1903 | Name Wilfred Baddeley Turned pro 1887 Role Tennis player Siblings Herbert Baddeley | |
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Country (sports) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Born 11 January 1872
Bromley, England ( 1872-01-11 ) Plays Right-handed (1-handed backhand) Highest ranking No. 1 (1891, Karoly Mazak) Wimbledon W (1891, 1894, 1895, 1896) Died January 24, 1929, Menton, France Similar People Jana Novotna, Martina Navratilova, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario | ||
Int. Tennis HoF 2013 (member page) | ||
Wilfred Baddeley (11 January 1872, Bromley, England – 24 January 1929, Menton, France) was a former world No. 1 British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.
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Career
Wilfred, the better-known competitor, made his debut at Wimbledon in 1889 and he went on to win singles title three times in 1891, 1892 and 1895. His 6–4, 1–6, 7–5, 6–0 win over Joshua Pim in 1891 at the age of 19 years and five months made him, until Boris Becker in 1985, the youngest men's singles champion at Wimbledon. He was also runner-up in 1893, 1894 and 1896. With Herbert, he won four doubles championships at Wimbledon in 1891, 1894 – 1896. The twins retired from competitive lawn tennis after the 1897 Wimbledon Championships to pursue their law careers but made a reappearance in the doubles event at Wimbledon in 1904 and 1905. In total he participated in eight Wimbledon singles tournaments and eleven doubles tournaments between 1889 and 1905.
Baddeley was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.
Professional life
In February 1895 the brothers qualified in London as solicitors. They joined their uncle and father Thomas and E. P. Baddeley in Leadenhall Street at the family firm, founded by their great grandfather in 1790. The brothers remained partners in the firm until 1919, when they retired leaving their cousin, Cyril Baddeley, to carry on in the family name.