Joshua Pim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joshua Pim

Full name	Joshua Pim
Country (sports)	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Born	(1869-05-20)20 May 1869 Bray, Wicklow, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Died	15 April 1942(1942-04-15) (aged 72) Killiney, Dublin, Ireland
Turned pro	1887 (amateur tour)
Retired	1902
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	137–29 (82.53%)
Career titles	37
Grand Slam singles results
Wimbledon	W (1893, 1894)
US Open	4R (1902)
Other tournaments
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1890, 1893)

Dr. Joshua Pim (born May 20, 1869 – died April 15, 1942) was a medical doctor and a fantastic amateur tennis player from Ireland. He won the famous Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894. During those years, he was also ranked as the top British tennis player. He also won the Wimbledon men's doubles title in 1890 and 1893.

Early Life and Family

Joshua Pim was born on May 20, 1869, in Bray, County Wicklow, which was then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. His father, also named Joshua, passed away when young Joshua was only two years old. This left his mother, Susannah Maria, to raise five young children.

As a child, Pim lived for a while in Kingstown. When he grew up, he moved to Killiney with his wife, Robin. They had one son and three daughters. Joshua Pim passed away at his home in Killiney on April 15, 1942, at the age of 72. He enjoyed swimming and playing golf.

Medical Career

Joshua Pim studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin and the Royal College of Physicians in London. He finished his studies in Dublin in 1891. Soon after, he started working as a surgeon at Jervis Street Hospital in Dublin.

In 1899, he became the Medical Officer for the Rathdown Workhouse Infirmary, which later became St Columcille's Hospital. He worked there and also had a general medical practice for 42 years.

Tennis Journey: Early Wins

Joshua Pim started playing tennis when he was eleven years old. In 1888, he joined the Lansdowne Club in Dublin, which was then called the All Ireland Lawn Tennis Club. He was coached there by Thomas Burke.

Soon after joining, he won his first tournament at the club. In May of the same year, he reached the semi-final of the Irish Championship. There, he played against Herbert Lawford, who was the Wimbledon singles champion at the time. Even though Pim was only 19, he played very well, and it took five sets for Lawford to win. People noticed Pim's good style and calm play.

In 1889, Pim won the men's singles title at the Yorkshire County Championship five times in a row. He also won the Landsdowne Championships that year. His first big tennis win came in 1890 when he and his friend Frank Stoker won the Irish men's doubles championship. Pim then won the men's singles title at the important English Northern Championships. Right after that, he and Stoker won the Wimbledon doubles title too! In the Wimbledon singles, he reached the semi-finals but lost to Willoughby Hamilton.

In 1891, Pim and Stoker won their Irish doubles title again. However, Pim had a motor accident just before a match, which injured his right hand and broke his middle finger. Even though his finger was still swollen and painful, he won the English Northern Championship again. But at Wimbledon, he lost in the singles final and he and Stoker lost their doubles title.

In 1892, Pim was recovering from typhoid fever, which made him not fit for tough matches. He lost in the semi-finals of the Irish Championship singles and he and Stoker lost their doubles title. A month later, he won the English Northern Championship for the third time. But in the Wimbledon singles final, he was beaten by Wilfred Baddeley.

Tennis: Becoming a Champion

In 1893, Joshua Pim won the Irish singles title for the first time. He also won the Irish doubles title with Stoker for the third time. He continued his winning streak by taking the singles titles at the English Northern and Yorkshire County Championships. He also won the London Championship at Queen's Club.

Then, at Wimbledon, he won the English singles title from Baddeley. He and Stoker also won the doubles title. This made him the first player to hold both the singles and doubles titles at the same time for what were then the world's most important tennis tournaments. People said his match with Baddeley at Wimbledon was "the best ever seen." They also noted that Pim "has never been known to lose his temper when playing."

In 1894, Pim won the Irish singles and doubles titles again with Stoker. He also beat Baddeley again in the English singles final at Wimbledon. The Dublin Evening Telegraph proudly announced: "The champion of England, Ireland and the world is an Irishman, namely Dr J. Pim."

In 1895, Pim won the Irish championships singles and doubles for the third year in a row. Instead of going to Wimbledon, he traveled to the United States to play in an international tournament. He was called "unquestionably the greatest player in the world today." He won most of his matches there.

In 1896, Pim focused on his medical studies. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland that November. He still played for Ireland in the international tennis match against England.

In 1902, he was asked to come out of retirement to play for the British Davis Cup team against America. He wasn't in his best shape, having gained weight, and lost his matches. He then played in the 1902 US National Championships where he reached the fourth round. After this, he stopped playing competitive tennis.

Tennis: How People Remembered His Game

Many tennis experts praised Joshua Pim's playing style. In 1898, Wilberforce Eaves, who had played against many top players, said Pim was the best opponent he had ever faced. He believed Pim's game, at its best, had "probably never been equalled."

In 1903, Harold Mahony said that experts thought Joshua Pim was "the finest player the world has ever seen." Another player, Henry Stanley Scrivener, agreed, saying that "on his day Pim was the finest player we ever had."

Ernest Meers thought Pim had "more actual genius or natural ability for lawn tennis than anyone I ever met." Arthur Wallis Myers talked about his "effortless brilliancy and marvellous versatility." Mahony noted that Pim's game was very strong but looked so easy and relaxed, as if he wasn't even trying. People remembered how precisely Pim could place the ball, almost like he could hit a target the size of a coin on the court.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1891	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Wilfred Baddeley	4–6, 6–1, 5–7, 0–6
Loss	1892	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Wilfred Baddeley	6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 2–6
Win	1893	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Wilfred Baddeley	3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–2
Win	1894	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Wilfred Baddeley	10–8, 6–2, 8–6

Doubles (2 titles)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1890	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Frank Stoker	George Hillyard Ernest Lewis	6–0, 7–5, 6–4
Win	1893	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Frank Stoker	Harry Barlow Ernest Lewis	4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 2–6, 6–0