Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Dates 6 May – 11 July 1908
Medal Events 6

There were three different sets of events held in the sport we now call tennis. In 1908, “tennis” usually referred to the specific indoor game often called court tennis, real tennis, royal tennis, or jeu de paume, and which was contested at the 1908 Olympics. In those days, “tennis,” as we now know it, was usually contested on grass courts, and was termed lawn tennis. However, in addition, an indoor version of the sport was also on the 1908 Olympic program, termed covered court tennis.

The lawn tennis events of the 1908 Olympics were held at that renowned facility, the All-England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, better known to the rest of the world as Wimbledon. The covered court events were held at Queen’s Club in West Kensington, which also hosted the jeu de paume and racquets events of the 1908 Olympics.

The 1908 Olympic events were basically European and British Empire championships. No Americans or Australian tennis players competed in London. Outside of Europe, the only other players were from Canada and South Africa. In the covered court events, the representation was even more limited; only tennis players from Great Britain and Sweden took part.

Events

Event Status Date Participants NOCs
Singles, Men Olympic 6 – 11 July 1908 31 9
Doubles, Men Olympic 6 – 11 July 1908 24 8
Singles, Covered Courts, Men Olympic 6 – 11 May 1908 7 2
Doubles, Covered Courts, Men Olympic 6 – 9 May 1908 10 2
Singles, Women Olympic 7 – 11 July 1908 5 1
Singles, Covered Courts, Women Olympic 7 – 11 May 1908 7 2
50 (40/10) 10 (10/2)

Medals

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Singles, Men Josiah RitchieGBR Otto FroitzheimGER Wilberforce EavesGBR
Doubles, Men Great Britain 1GBR Great Britain 2GBR Great Britain 3GBR
Singles, Covered Courts, Men Arthur Wentworth GoreGBR George CaridiaGBR Josiah RitchieGBR
Doubles, Covered Courts, Men Great Britain 1GBR Great Britain 2GBR SwedenSWE
Singles, Women Dorothy Lambert ChambersGBR Dora BoothbyGBR Ruth WinchGBR
Singles, Covered Courts, Women Gladys Eastlake-SmithGBR Alice GreeneGBR Märtha AdlerstråhleSWE

Medal table

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
Great Britain GBR 6 5 4 15
Germany GER 0 1 0 1
Sweden SWE 0 0 2 2