Reginald "Reggie" or "R. F." Frank Doherty (14 October 1872 – 29 December 1910) was a British

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

player and the older brother of tennis player

Laurence Doherty Hugh Laurence Doherty (8 October 1875 – 21 August 1919) was a British tennis player and the younger brother of tennis player Reginald Doherty. He was a six-time Grand Slam champion and a double Olympic Gold medalist at the Tennis at the 1900 ...

. He was known in the tennis world as "R.F." rather than "Reggie". "Famous Tennis Player Dead: R.F. Doherty, Once American Champion, Passes Away in London"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 30 December 1910 He was a four-time Wimbledon singles champion and a triple Olympic Gold medalist in doubles and mixed doubles.

Early life

Doherty was born on 14 October 1872 at Beulah Villa in Wimbledon, the oldest son of William Doherty, a printer, and his wife Catherine Ann Davis. Doherty began tennis early in life and as a boy at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

showed great promise. At age 14, he won the boys' singles title at an open championship in Llandudno. Doherty was educated at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

, where he played for the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club. In 1895 and 1895, he was part of the Cambridge team that beat Oxford and won the Scottish and Essex championships.

Career

Grand Slam tournaments Doherty played in his first Wimbledon Championships in 1894 and lost in the first round to Clement Cazalet in four sets. In 1897 Doherty won his first singles Wimbledon title after beating reigning champion Harold Mahony in three straight sets (6–4, 6–4, 6–3). He successfully defended his title for the next three years (1898, 1899, 1900). In 1898 he did so by beating his brother in the Challenge Round in five sets (6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1). In 1901 he finally lost his Wimbledon crown when he was defeated in the Challenge Round by Arthur Gore in four sets (6–4, 5–7, 4–6, 4–6). He was also a runner-up at the US Championships in 1902 where he was beaten by the defending American champion William Larned in four sets (6–4, 2–6, 4–6, 6–8). Together with his brother Laurie he won eight Wimbledon Championships doubles titles and two US Championship doubles titles. Davis Cup Doherty represented the British Isles in the prestigious

Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and contested annually between teams from over 150 competing countries, making it the world's largest annual ...

contest from 1902 to 1906. In 1902 he won the doubles match with his brother but lost the final and decisive singles match against American Malcolm Whitman in straight sets (1–6, 5–7, 4–6). In 1903 he contributed significantly to his team's first Davis Cup title against the United States by winning the doubles match and the decisive singles match against Robert Wrenn. Doherty won the Davis Cup trophy a further three times (1904, 1905, 1906) although in these years he only competed, and won, in the doubles matches. Olympics Doherty won the doubles title (

gold medals A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

were not given at the 1900 Games) at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris with his brother. He also competed in the singles tournament and reached the semifinal, where he was scheduled to play against his brother. Reggie withdrew, since the brothers refused to play each other before the final. He also won the mixed doubles title with five-time Wimbledon champion Charlotte Cooper. Doherty did not compete in the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. In the 1908 Olympics in London, Reggie again won the doubles title, this time with compatriot George Hillyard. R.F. Doherty was inducted into the

International Tennis Hall of Fame The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, 13 grass tennis courts, an ...

in 1980 together with his brother.

Death

Doherty died of heart failure and neurasthenia on 29 December 1910 at age 38 at his home in Kensington, a day after returning from a convalescence stay in a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland. According to his obituary in ''The New York Times'', Doherty had "been in ill health for some time". The article further stated he "held at various times every important championship the world of tennis has for a man to win. He was not beaten until he began to fail in health". Both brothers apparently had respiratory problems throughout their lives.Hugh Laurence Doherty (UK)
R.F. and his brother had been urged to take up lawn tennis by their father, reportedly for health reasons.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runners-up)

Doubles: 13 (10 titles, 3 runners-up)

Career finals (52)

Singles titles (36)

Singles runners-up (16)

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doherty, Reggie 1872 births 1910 deaths 19th-century English sportsmen 19th-century male tennis players Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge English people of Irish descent English male tennis players British male tennis players English Olympic competitors Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Olympic tennis players for Great Britain Tennis players from the London Borough of Merton International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Tennis players at the 1900 Summer Olympics Tennis players at the 1908 Summer Olympics United States National champions (tennis) Wimbledon champions (pre-Open Era) Olympic medalists in tennis Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's doubles Medalists at the 1900 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics People from Wimbledon, London