Algernon Kingscote

The Kingscote family pedigree goes back to 985 AD and the family home at Kingscote Manor in Gloucestershire was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The son of Colonel Howard Kingscote, Algernon, or Algy as he was widely known, was born in India and learned to play tennis in Switzerland where he and his mother lived. In 1908, at the age of 20, he won the Swiss championship just days after the sudden death of his mother, the writer “Lucas Cleeve”. He then joined the Royal Garrison Artillery and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He served in both World Wars, was mentioned in dispatches three times, and was awarded the 1914 Star and Military Cross.

Despite being over the age of 30 when competitive tennis resumed after the First World War, Algy was regarded as one of the finest male players in Great Britain. He made his Wimbledon début in 1914 but the war years curtailed his appearances, and he took part on just six more occasions up to 1927, reaching the All-comers’ singles final in 1919 before losing to Australian Gerald Patterson. However, he won his first and only Grand Slam title six months later when he beat local favourite Eric Pockley to win the Australian championship. A week earlier he had captained Great Britain in the Davis Cup final in Sydney which Australia won 4-1. He appeared in three other Davis Cups, in 1920, 1922 and 1924.

Kingscote and James Parke were beaten in the 1920 Wimbledon doubles final by Dick Williams, who learned his tennis in Switzerland alongside Algy, and his fellow American Chuck Garland. Two years later Algy had the distinction of winning the first ever match on Wimbledon’s centre court after the championship moved to its new home at Church Road. He beat Leslie Godfree in straight sets. At the 1924 Olympic Games Kingscote appeared in the men’s doubles and singles where he made it to the last 16 but was heavily beaten 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 by Frenchman Jean Borotra. The captain of the British International Tennis Club four times between 1925-32 he also served as Chairman of the club for nearly 25 years.