Tony Wilding - Sports Career

Sports Career

In 1904 Wilding won the Scottish national championships. In 1905 he made his first Davis Cup appearance as part of the Australasian team and the following year won both the Australasian Championships singles title, defeating Francis Fisher in the final in straight sets, and doubles title, partnering compatriot Rodney Heath. Finishing his education, he was called to the English Bar at the Inner Temple in 1906.

Between 1907 and 1909 he helped the Australasian team win three consecutive Davis Cups, the first against the British Isles at Wimbledon and the last two against the United States. He won his second Australasian Championships in 1909, defeating Ernie Parker in the final in straight sets. The same year he qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor at the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Focusing on his tennis game, he won the Wimbledon singles title for four straight years between 1910 and 1913. In 1910 and 1912 he defeated Arthur Gore in the final, both times in four sets. In 1911 his opponent Herbert Barrett retired in the final at two sets all. In 1913 at Wimbledon Myers says that he played "the best game of his life", beating American Maurice McLoughlin, the 1912 U.S. National Championships winner, in three sets. In 1914 he narrowly missed winning his fifth title in a row, losing in the final to Norman Brookes. In addition, he won four men's doubles titles at Wimbledon, in 1907 and 1914 with Norman Brookes and in 1908 and 1910 partnering with Josiah Ritchie.

In 1914, he returned to Davis Cup play, leading the Australasian team to another championship, defeating the United States team before their home crowd at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York.

He missed the 1908 Olympics in London because of administrative bungling, but at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm won a bronze medal in the men's indoor singles for Australasia.

He won a unique triple in 1913:

• The World Hard Court Championship (Paris, clay)
• The World Lawn Tennis Championship (Wimbledon, London, grass)
• The World Covered Court Championship (Stockholm, indoor wood)

These were all three of the official World Championships events (Major tennis titles) as designated by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF), at the time. (Note: The current 4 majors were only made officially so from 1924/1925). In 1914 Wilding retained his World Hard Court Championship title in Paris without losing a single set.

He also played for the Canterbury cricket team in the early 1900s where he played two first-class matches. He was a keen motorcycle (with sidecar) rider with many long trips in Europe, New Zealand and America. In 1908 he won a gold medal in a reliability trial from Land's End to John o' Groats. Several "mighty rides" (Myers) in Europe in 1910 included London to Lake Geneva and back, some 3000 miles (4800 km), including 350 miles (560 km) from Evian to Paris in one day. He ventured into poorly roaded places like Hungary and Serbia.