Major Ritchie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Major Ritchie

Full name	Major Josiah George Ritchie
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Born	(1870-10-18)18 October 1870 Westminster, England
Died	28 February 1955(1955-02-28) (aged 84) Ashford, Middlesex, England
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	1274–371 (77.4%)
Career titles	131
Grand Slam singles results
Wimbledon	F (1902AC, 1903AC, 1904AC, 1909Ch)
Other tournaments
WCCC	SF (1920)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1908, 1910)
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis Gold 1908 London Singles Silver 1908 London Doubles Bronze 1908 London Indoor singles

Major Josiah George Ritchie (born October 18, 1870 – died February 28, 1955) was a famous tennis player from Great Britain. His first name was Major, which is a bit unusual, but it wasn't a military rank. He was born in Westminster, England, and went to Brighton College. He passed away in Ashford, Middlesex.

Major Achievements in Tennis

Major Ritchie was a very successful tennis player. He won three medals at the 1908 London Olympics. He earned a Gold medal in men's singles, a Silver medal in men's doubles, and a Bronze medal in men's indoor singles. He was the last British player to win an Olympic medal in singles tennis for a long time, until Andy Murray won Gold in 2012.

Wimbledon Success

Ritchie had a great record at Wimbledon. In 1908 and 1910, he and his partner Anthony Wilding won the men's doubles title. He also reached the singles final at Wimbledon several times. In 1902, 1903, and 1904, he made it to the "all-comers" final. In 1909, he reached the Wimbledon Challenge Round, which was the final match against the defending champion. He played a tough five-set match but lost to Arthur Gore.

Other Big Wins

Major Ritchie won many other important tournaments. In March 1907, he surprised everyone by beating the famous player Laurence Doherty in the final of the Monte Carlo tournament. In June 1907, he won the Irish Championships. He was also a five-time champion at the Championships of Germany in Hamburg (from 1903 to 1906, and again in 1908). He also won the doubles title there in 1904 and 1906. He won the singles title at the Austrian Championship five times too (from 1900 to 1903, and in 1905). In 1908, he was part of the British Davis Cup team. He also won the Surrey Championships three years in a row, from 1908 to 1910.

In 1911, Ritchie won the Queen's Club Covered Courts Championship, beating Anthony Wilding in a close five-set match. Even when he was 50 years old in 1920, he still played well enough to reach the semifinal of the World Covered Court Championships in London.

Beyond Tennis

Major Ritchie was not just good at tennis; he enjoyed other sports too! In 1903, he took part in a rowing competition in Laleham. He won both the single sculls and coxless pairs events. He also played table tennis and was the secretary of the Table Tennis Association, which started in 1902. That same year, he helped write a book about table tennis called Table tennis and how to play it, with rules. In 1909, he wrote his own book about lawn tennis called The Text Book of Lawn Tennis.

Grand Slam Finals

Here are the major finals Major Ritchie played in Grand Slam tournaments like Wimbledon.

Singles Final (1 runner-up)

He reached one singles final at Wimbledon.

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1909	Wimbledon	Grass	Arthur Gore	8–6, 6–1, 2–6, 2–6, 2–6

Doubles Finals (2 titles)

He won two doubles titles at Wimbledon with his partner Anthony Wilding.

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1908	Wimbledon	Grass	Anthony Wilding	Arthur Gore Herbert Roper Barrett	6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 9–7
Win	1910	Wimbledon	Grass	Anthony Wilding	Arthur Gore Herbert Roper Barrett	6–1, 6–1, 6–2

Images for kids

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  Major Josiah George Ritchie

See also

In Spanish: Josiah Ritchie para niños