Laurence Doherty facts for kids
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| Full name | Hugh Laurence Doherty | ||||||||||||||||
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| Country (sports) |  United Kingdom |
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| Born | 8 October 1875 Wimbledon, England |
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| Died | 21 August 1919 (aged 43) Broadstairs, England |
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| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1893 (amateur) | ||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1910 | ||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1980 (member page) | ||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 293–38 (88.5%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 51 | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1898, ITHF) | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (1903) | ||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (1902, 1903) | ||||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||||
| Davis Cup | W (1903, 1904, 1905, 1906) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Hugh Laurence Doherty (born October 8, 1875 – died August 21, 1919) was a famous British tennis player. He was the younger brother of another great tennis player, Reginald Doherty. Laurence was a six-time Grand Slam champion, which means he won six of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world.
He also won two gold medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris for singles and doubles tennis. He even earned a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the same Olympics. In 1903, Laurence made history by becoming the first non-American player to win the U.S. National Championships.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Laurence Doherty was born in Wimbledon, Surrey, England. He was the youngest son of William Doherty, a printer. Laurence was a bit shorter than his brother, standing at 1.78 meters (about 5 feet 10 inches). Both brothers became champions in tennis.
Laurence went to Westminster School and then to Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. At Cambridge, he played for the university's tennis team and later became its president. He earned his "blues" in tennis, which is a special award for top athletes at Cambridge. In 1892, when he was just 16, Laurence won the Renshaw Cup. This was the All-England Championships singles title for boys under 16.
Besides lawn tennis, Laurence also enjoyed playing real tennis, which is an older version of the game, and golf.
A Champion's Career
Laurence and his brother were encouraged by their father to play tennis to stay healthy. Laurence was often called "Little Do" by his fans. He won the famous Wimbledon singles title five times in a row! He also won the doubles title eight times with his brother.
In 1903, Laurence achieved something amazing. He became the first tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament outside his home country. He won the U.S. National Championships in Newport, USA, by beating the champion, William Larned. Laurence also won the singles title at the British Covered Court Championships six times in a row. He won the South of France Championships in Nice seven times in a row too!
Olympic Success
Laurence won the singles event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Interestingly, gold medals were not given out at those Games. In the semifinal, he was supposed to play against his brother, Reggie. But Reggie stepped aside because the brothers had a rule: they would not play against each other unless it was the final match. In the final, Laurence easily beat Harold Mahony. Laurence also won the doubles title at the 1900 Olympics with his brother. In the mixed doubles event, he played with Marion Jones. They lost in the semifinal to his brother, Reggie, and his partner, Charlotte Cooper.
Davis Cup Victories
From 1902 to 1906, Laurence played for the British Davis Cup team. The Davis Cup is a major international team competition in men's tennis. During this time, he was unbeatable! In 1902, he and his brother won their doubles match against the United States. However, the U.S. team still won the Cup that year.
In 1903, Laurence won both his singles matches and the doubles match. This helped the British team win their first-ever Davis Cup! He was also part of the British team that successfully defended the Cup in 1904, 1905, and 1906.
Beyond Tennis
The Doherty brothers even wrote a book together called R.F. and H.L. Doherty on Lawn Tennis in 1903.
After 1906, Laurence stopped playing tennis professionally and started playing golf. He was very good at golf too! In 1908, he made it to the last 16 players in the British amateur golf championship.
When World War I started in 1914, Laurence joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve to help protect against air attacks. However, he had to leave in 1915 because he became ill.
Laurence Doherty passed away on August 21, 1919, in Broadstairs, England, after a long illness. In 1980, he was honored by being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame along with his brother.
Images for kids
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Laurence Doherty (right) with his brother Reginald
