World Hard Court Championships

Brussels, Belgium (1922) World Hard Court Championships (French: Championnats du Monde de Tennis sur Terre Battue) were an annual major tennis tournament sanctioned by the International Lawn Tennis Federation, held from 1912 to 1923. It was principally held in Paris, on clay courts of the Stade Français in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud, with one exception when the tournament was held at the Royal Leopold Club in Brussels, Belgium, in 1922.

The name of the event referred to its venues that were surfaced with clay, which at the time was customarily transcribed as "hard court" in English. It was open to all international amateur players from all nationalities, unlike the French Championships, which were open only to tennis players who were members of clubs in France through 1924; because of this the World Hard Court Championships is sometimes considered as the proper precursor to the French Open. The French Championships were also held at a different venue at the time, the Racing Club de France, Paris.

At an annual general meeting held on 16 March 1923 in Paris, the International Lawn Tennis Federation issued the ‘Rules of Tennis’ that were adopted with public effect on 1 January 1924. The United States became an affiliated member of the International Lawn Tennis Federation. The World Championship title was also dropped at this meeting and a new category of Official Championship was created for events in Great Britain, France, USA and Australia – today’s Grand Slam events. The World Hard Court Championships tournament was then disbanded by the International Lawn Tennis Federation.

The World Hard Court Championships was not played in 1924, when Paris hosted the Olympic Games and its tennis tournament, also held on clay courts, took the place of the championship. In 1925 the French Championships opened to international competitors for the first time, with the event held alternately between the Stade Français (1925, 1927), which was the site of the World Hard Court Championships, and the Racing Club de France (1926), which was the site of the previous French Championship. From 1928, the French Championships moved to Stade Roland Garros.

Anthony Wilding was the only male multiple champion in the singles event, winning the title in 1913 and 1914, while Suzanne Lenglen won the women's singles title four times (1914, 1921–23).

Champions

Men's singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1912	GER Otto Froitzheim	GER Oscar Kreuzer	6–2, 7–5, 4–6, 7–5
1913	NZL Anthony Wilding	FRA André Gobert	6–3, 6–3, 1–6, 6–4
1914	NZL Anthony Wilding	AUT Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten	6–0, 6–2, 6–4
1915	No competition (due to World War I)
1916
1917
1918
1920	FRA William Laurentz	FRA André Gobert	9–7, 6–2, 3–6, 6–2
1921	USA Bill Tilden	BEL Jean Washer	6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1922	FRA Henri Cochet	ESP Manuel de Gomar	6–0, 2–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–2
1923	USA Bill Johnston	BEL Jean Washer	4–6, 6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
1924	No competition (Paris Olympics held instead)

Women's singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1912	FRA Marguerite Broquedis	GER Mieken Rieck	6–3, 0–6, 6–4
1913	GER Mieken Rieck	FRA Marguerite Broquedis	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
1914	FRA Suzanne Lenglen	FRA Germaine Golding	6–2, 6–1
1915	No competition (due to World War I)
1916
1917
1918
1920	GBR Dorothy Holman	ESP Francisca Subirana	6–0, 7–5
1921	FRA Suzanne Lenglen	USA Molla Mallory	6–2, 6–3
1922	FRA Suzanne Lenglen	USA Elizabeth Ryan	6–3, 6–2
1923	FRA Suzanne Lenglen	GBR Kitty McKane	6–3, 6–3
1924	No competition (Paris Olympics held instead)

Men's doubles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1912	GER Otto Froitzheim
GER Oscar Kreuzer	SAF Harold Kitson
SAF Charles Winslow	4–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–3
1913	GER Moritz von Bissing
GER Heinrich Kleinschroth	GER Otto Froitzheim
NZL Anthony Wilding	7–5, 0–6, 6–3, 8–6
1914	FRA Max Decugis
FRA Maurice Germot	GBR Arthur Gore
GBR Algernon Kingscote	6–1, 11–9, 6–8, 6–2
1915	No competition (due to World War I)
1916
1917
1918
1920	FRA André Gobert
FRA William Laurentz	SAF Cecil Blackbeard
ROM Nicolae Mişu	6–4, 6–2, 6–1
1921	FRA André Gobert
FRA William Laurentz	FRA Pierre Albarran
FRA Alain Gerbault	6–4, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2
1922	FRA Jean Borotra
FRA Henri Cochet	FRA Marcel Dupont
ROM Nicolae Mişu	6–8, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3
1923	FRA Jacques Brugnon
FRA Marcel Dupont	FRA Léonce Aslangul
ITA Uberto de Morpurgo	10–12, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4
1924	No competition (Paris Olympics held instead)

Women's doubles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1912	No women's doubles held
1913
1914	FRA Suzanne Lenglen
USA Elizabeth Ryan	FRA Blanche Amblard
FRA Suzanne Amblard	6–0, 6–0
1915	No competition (due to World War I)
1916
1917
1918
1920	GBR Dorothy Holman
GBR Phyllis Satterthwaite	FRA Germaine Golding
FRA Jeanne Vaussard	6–3, 6–1
1921	FRA Germaine Golding
FRA Suzanne Lenglen	GBR Dorothy Holman
SAF Irene Peacock	6–2, 6–2
1922	FRA Suzanne Lenglen
USA Elizabeth Ryan	GBR Winifred Beamish
GBR Kitty McKane	6–0, 6–4
1923	GBR Winifred Beamish
GBR Kitty McKane	FRA Germaine Golding
FRA Suzanne Lenglen	6–2, 6–3
1924	No competition (Paris Olympics held instead)

Mixed doubles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1912	FRA Max Decugis
BEL Anne de Borman	GER Heinrich Kleinschroth
GER Mieken Rieck	6–4, 7–5
1913	FRA Max Decugis
USA Elizabeth Ryan	NZL Anthony Wilding
FRA Germaine Golding	walkover
1914	FRA Max Decugis
USA Elizabeth Ryan	AUT Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten
FRA Suzanne Lenglen	6–3, 6–1
1915	No competition (due to World War I)
1916
1917
1918
1920	FRA William Laurentz
FRA Germaine Golding	FRA Max Decugis
FRA Suzanne Amblard	walkover
1921	FRA Max Decugis
FRA Suzanne Lenglen	FRA William Laurentz
FRA Germaine Golding	6–3, 6–2
1922	FRA Henri Cochet
FRA Suzanne Lenglen	GBR Brian Gilbert
GBR Geraldine Beamish	6–4, 4–6, 6–0
1923	FRA Henri Cochet
FRA Suzanne Lenglen	GBR Brian Gilbert
GBR Kitty McKane	6–2, 10–8
1924	No competition (Paris Olympics held instead)