1881 Wimbledon Championship 1881 Wimbledon Championship The 1881 Wimbledon Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament ran from 2 July until 13 July. It was the 5th staging of the Wimbledon Championships, and the first Grand Slam tennis event of 1881. The defending champion John Hartley lost in straight sets in the final to challenger William Renshaw, who defeated Hartley in 37 minutes, 6–0, 6–1, 6–1. The result is said to have been caused by Hartley suffering from an attack of 'English cholera'. William Renshaw defeated
Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics At the 1896 Summer Olympics, two tennis events were contested, both for men. They began on 8 April and continued on 9 April, 10 April, and 11 April. 13 or 15 competitors from six nations, including seven Greeks, took part in the tennis competition. Many of the doubles teams were of mixed nationality, including all three medalist pairs. None of the leading players of the time such as Wimbledon champion Harold Mahony, U.S champion Robert Wrenn, William Larned or Wilfred Baddeley participated. To strengthen the field, the organization added sportsmen from other Olympic events,