Robert Leo Fahey (born 30 April 1968, in Hobart, Tasmania), nicknamed "Bag", is an Australian

real tennis Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (also called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United Sta ...

player and the former

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

of the sport, holding the title from 16 March 1994 to 21 May 2016 and again from 28 April 2018 to September 2022.

Career

On 27 April 2006, at the Oratory Tennis Club in Woodcote,

South Oxfordshire South Oxfordshire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. Its council is temporarily based outside the district at Abingdon-on-Thames pending a p ...

, he matched the great Pierre Etchebaster's feat of seven consecutive defenses of the real tennis singles World Championship. The defence was against Tim Chisholm in the latter's third consecutive challenge. In May 2008 he again successfully defended his title, thus breaking Etchebaster's record, against Camden Riviere on the historic court at Fontainebleau Palace, France, winning 7 sets to 5 (6/1 3/6 5/6 6/4, 6/2 6/3 5/6 6/0, 6/1 2/6 1/6 6/5). In May 2010 he retained his title for a record ninth time, defeating Steve Virgona 7 sets to 2. In April 2012 he retained his title for the 10th consecutive time, again defeating Steve Virgona 7 sets to 3 (6/5 3/6 6/1 6/3 6/4 6/3 3/6 5/6 6/2 6/3). He successfully defended his title in May 2014, at the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club, for the eleventh time, defeating Camden Riviere seven sets to three. Fahey was finally defeated in the 2016 Real Tennis World Championship, by Camden Riviere by 7 sets to 2, at the National Tennis Club in Newport, Rhode Island (Riviere's home court). Fahey regained the World Championship singles title on 28 April 2018, defeating Camden Riviere by 7 sets to 5, at

The Queen's Club The Queen's Club is a Club (organization)#Country or sports club, private sporting club in Barons Court (UK Parliament constituency), Barons Court, West Kensington, London, West Kensington, London, England. The club hosts the annual Queen's ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. In 2000 and 2001 he won back-to-back Grand Slams, and a third in 2008. In 2003 (

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

), partnered with Steve Virgona, he won the World Doubles Championship; the pair successfully defended the title in 2005 (Fontainebleau), 2007 (

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

), 2009 (Seacourt - Hayling Island) and 2011 (RMTC - Melbourne). A portrait of Fahey by Rupert Alexander was shortlisted for the BP Portrait Award 2012. Fahey was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the 2017 British New Year Honours for services to sport. In the 2019 Australian Queen's Birthday Honours List Fahey was awarded the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

(OAM) for service to Real Tennis. Fahey announced his retirement from competitive Real Tennis following his loss to Camden Riviere in the 2022 World Championship final. He would later play in the

2022 British Open The 2022 British Open (officially the 2022 Cazoo British Open) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 26 September to 2 October 2022 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England. The third ranking tournament of the 2022� ...

, and announced his retirement from singles following another final defeat against Riviere. He returned to playing singles at the 2024 US Open and has been active since.

Singles titles

* ''World Champion:'' 1994,

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014,

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

(since 1996 played on even years only) * ''Australian Open:'' 1993, 1994, 1996,

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016 * ''British Open:''

, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011,

* ''French Open:'' 1993,

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 * ''U.S. Open:'' 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 * ''IRTPA Championships'' (formerly UK Professional): 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015 * ''U.S. Professional / Schochet Cup:'' 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2025 * ''European Open:'' 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2015 Source:

Personal life

He is married to fellow real tennis player Claire Fahey and they have two children.

References

External links

International Real Tennis Professionals Association: Robert Fahey profile
*
The 2014 World Challenge

Interview with Rob Fahey on the determination to required to be a World Champion for over 20 years
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fahey, Robert 1968 births Living people Australian expatriate sportspeople in England Australian real tennis players Sportspeople from Hobart Tennis players from Tasmania Members of the Order of the British Empire

Career

Singles titles

Personal life

See also

References

External links