The 1881 men's tennis season incorporates 73 tournaments staged in Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States. The 1881 Wimbledon Championships was won by William Renshaw. This year also saw the inaugural and important 1881 U.S. National Championships held at Newport Casino which Richard Sears won. This was also the year that the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, which is the world's first national tennis association, was founded. Renshaw then went on to win two other big tournaments of the year, namely, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and Princes Club Championships, whilst Richard Taswell Richardson won the prestigious Northern Championships.
The season began in April in Cheltenham, England, and ended in November in Melbourne, Australia.
Calendar 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:Tournaments in italics were events that were staged only onetime
Key Important. National Provincial/State/Regional County Local
January to March No events
April DateTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist4 April.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.68. North Northamptonshire LTC Tournament (First Meeting)Drayton ParkKetteringNorthamptonshire? Singles Doubles G.H. Evans? ? 19–23 April.Cheltenham Covered Court ChampionshipsImperial Winter GardensCheltenham, EnglandWood (i)Singles - Doubles Ernest Renshaw6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6 Ernest Browne Major Henry Holley Goodeve G. Harrison Ernest Edwin Meek Henry Blane Porter S. Davies Ernest Renshaw William Renshawdef George Montague Butterworth G. Harrison. Ernest Browne Miss Williamsdef Henry Blane Porter Miss. Florence Mardall.
May DateTournamentWinnerAll Comers' FinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist 23–29 MayIrish Lawn Tennis ChampionshipsDublin, IrelandOutdoorGrassSingles - Doubles William Renshaw1-6 6-4 6-3 6-1 Richard Taswell Richardson Peter Aungier A J Mullholland Ernest Renshaw Otway WoodhouseChallenge round Herbert Lawford Spencer Duncan Maul Miss Costello6-4, 7-5 Robert Hassard Miss. D. Meldon31 May.St.George's Hill Tournament St. George's Hill LTCWeybridge, Surrey, EnglandOutdoorGrassSingles Wilfred Milne3 sets to 0 B. Hawes F.M. Ashley Oswald Milne F.M. Ashley Ferguson G. Davies Mr. Maclachlan Rev. G.S. Money
June DateTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarter finalistJune.Oxford University Champion TournamentNorham Gardens, Oxford, Great BritainGrassSingles – Doubles Robert Wallace Braddell6-4, 8-6, 6-2 Rev. Thomas Poltimore Dimond 30 May–4 June. Cambridge University TournamentCambridge University LTCCambridge, EnglandOutdoorGrassSingles - Doubles Barclay Fowell Buxton? Erskine Gerald Watson E.W. Brooke? R. Hunt? A.C. Cooper? R. HuntBye J.E. McMaster? J.H.M. Whitehead? 1–5 JuneWest of England ChampionshipsBath, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles - Doubles Pelham Von Donop5-6 6-5 6-3 John Charles Kay John Charles KayBye William Norton Barry H. C. Jenkins Henry Blane Porter 5-10 JuneWorcester Park Challenge Cup. Worcester, Worcestershire, EnglandGrass F. Durant? ? 6–12 June Waterloo Tournament Liverpool, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles - Doubles Richard Taswell Richardson6-0 6-0 R W Jones Henry Blane Porter R W Jones W. G. Barker T. R. Hunt C. Phillips 6–12 JunePrinces Club Championships London, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles - Doubles William Renshaw7-5 4-6 6-0 6-3 Alfred John Mulholland Herbert Lawford Richard Taswell Richardson John Charles Cole L. G. Campbell 6–12 JuneEssex Championships Brentwood, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles - Doubles Dale Womersley6-0 6-4 Nalton Womersley Edward North Buxton Charles Walder Grinstead6-3 6-1 Albert Womersley W.C. Wells A. Fowler was absent. 16–18 June.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.69.Liverpool Cricket Club Lawn Tennis TournamentLiverpool Cricket ClubAigburth, Liverpool, EnglandGrassSingles Richard Taswell Richardsons6-0, 6-0 Reginald Herbert Jones 20–26 JuneNorthern Championships Manchester, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles - Doubles Richard Taswell Richardson6-1 6-1 6-0 Walter Edwin Fairlie Minden Fenwick A. L. Payne Percival C. Fenwick J. J. Yates Challenge round John Comber
July DateTournamentWinnerAll comers' finalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist26 June–1 July.OPEN TOURNAMENT AT ROCHESTER. The 19th Rochester Open tournament. which extends over three days, was continued on Saturday, the weather being somewhat more favourable than on the opening day. Sporting Life. (Monday 6 August 1900). The British Newspaper Archive. London, England. page.3.Rochester OpenThe PaddockKing's School, Rochester, Kent, EnglandGrassSingles H. Blatherwick6-3,6-3,6-4 A. Buchanan 2–13 JulyWimbledon Championship London, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles William Renshaw6–0, 6–1, 6–1 Richard Taswell Richardson Herbert Lawford George S. Murray Hill Otway Woodhouse William Henry Darby Challenge round John Hartley 11–17 July Scottish Championships Edinburgh, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles John Galbraith Horn6-1 6-5 A L Davidson T A Bell B S Cunliffe Captain Gosling Charles C Maconochie Captain Sterling 12 July.Routledges Sporting Annual (1882) Lawn Tennis in 1881Routledges Sporting Annual (1883) Lawn Tennis Principle Meetings of 1882 Championship of the Esher LTC.Esher Lawn Tennis ClubEsher, Surrey, EnglandGrass Clement Edward Cottrell6-5, 6-5, 6-1 Charles Martineau 12 July. Bedfordshire LTC TournamentNorth Beds Lawn Tennis ClubBlunhem House, Fairfield, Bedfordshire, EnglandGrass Cecil Henry Polhill-Turner? R. Hughes C. Mellor A.K. Lindsell F.H. Smith Captain Leigh Warner 16 July. Woodford Parish Championship County Cricket GroundWoodford Parish, EnglandGrassSingles Edward North Buxton2 sets to 0R.C. Ball ? 15-16 July.Staffordshire County Cricket Club Lawn Tennis Tournament.Lichfield, Great BritainGrassSingles Henry W. J. Gardner 6-4, 2-6, 6-5 E.W. Burnett A.W. Hart E.K. Wade John George Chamberlain C.E. Green L.G. Knight 17–20 JulyRoutledges Sporting Annual (1882) Lawn Tennis in 1881. George Routledge and Son. London. p.70.Alliance LTC ChampionshipCrouch End Hill, Crouch End, London, EnglandOutdoorGrass Singles F.A. Clark?? 20-23 July. North Northamptonshire LTC Tournament (Second Meeting)Grafton UnderwoodNorth Northamptonshire? Singles Doubles Edward North Buxton? H.E. Kaye N.F. Roberts Daniel Wiltringham Stable A. Fowler S.E. Palmer Ernest Robert Stable E. Wheeler Challenge round F.E. Deck 18–24 JulyCanadian Championships Toronto, CanadaOutdoorGrassSingles Isidore F. Hellmuth6–2, 6–2 W.H. Young ? 18–24 JulyEdgbaston Open Tournament Edgbaston, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles Dr. Walter W. Chamberlain6-3 6-1 6-4 F.S. Goodwin G.R. Brewerton R.W. Miller G.H. Cartland G.J. Chamerlain H. Simonds J. Lambert 25–30 JulyLondon Athletic Club Tournament Fulham, London, Great BritainOutdoorGrassSingles Frederick Lawrence Rawson6-1 4-6 6-2 6-3 Otway Woodhouse Edgar Lubbock G. H. Taylor B. James Ernest Wool Lewis Augustus Adolphus Nepean 30 July.Harrow Lawn Tennis Club Tournament.Harrow Lawn Tennis ClubHarrow, Middlesex, EnglandGrass Frederick Gordon Templer2 sets to 1 J. Ruault J.P. Charles G. Holmes C. Edwards W. Guillemard E.S. Prior W. Wilkinson 25–30 JulyNorwich Open Tournament.Chapelfield GardensNorwich, Norfolk England? Francis William Monement6-2 6-4 Edward Morgan Hansell William Bolding Monement Henry Edward John Browne Walter Edward Hansell R.H. Perkin 25–31 JulyDundalk Tournament Dundalk, IrelandOutdoorGrassSingles Robert Shaw Templerdef. Kerry Leyne Supple H Graves A. Edes Frederick Gordon Templer
August