Scotland's 'forgotten Wimbledon winner' who changed tennis forever

Дата публикации: 01-07-2026 19:00:00

He was an important figure in the early days of the sport.

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He was an important figure in the early days of the sport.

Wimbledon has kicked off for another year, with tennis fans across Scotland and all over the world eagerly watching along with all of the action. Taking place between June 29 and July 12, there are plenty of exciting matches to look forward to over the coming two weeks.

Scotland is no stranger to Wimbledon success, with Sir Andy Murray being one of the most successful tennis players of all time. The Glasgow-born superstar has won the legendary tournament twice, triumphing over Novak Djokovic in 2013 and then Milos Raonic in 2016.

While Murray is the most well-known Scottish tennis player to take the gentlemen's singles title at the Wimbledon Championships, he is not the only one. Edinburgh-born Harold Mahony previously won the tournament in 1896, but there is another player from Scotland who once held the trophy.

Described as "Scotland's forgotten Wimbledon winner" by Scottish Sports History, Herbert Lawford was a former world number one tennis player from Scotland who was born in 1851 in Middlesex. Despite being born in England, Lawford claimed Scottish ancestry and represented the country when he played tennis.

Lawford was raised in London but developed a lifelong connection with Scotland when he studied at Edinburgh Academy and later the University of Edinburgh. It was at the latter that he honed his sports skills, which would help him when he started playing the then-new sport of tennis after he returned to London.

When playing, Lawford became known by tennis fans for his thick handlebar moustache and he was usually seen wearing hats and shirts that were embellished with black and white stripes. He won the Oxford University Men’s Doubles Championship, which was the first major men's doubles tennis tournament, in 1879 alongside Robert Erskine.

Lawford first entered Wimbledon in 1878, in only the tournament's second's year of existence. He reached the finals five times between 1880 and 1888, triumphing in 1887 over Warwickshire-born Ernest Renshaw after hard-fought five-set match—with the final score being 1–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4.

Aside from winning Wimbledon, Lawford is also credited with advancing the sport of tennis by introducing the 'topspin' shot. The sportsman's powerful forehand was referred to as 'the Lawford stroke', which would later develop into the topspin that all of the pro players utilise today.

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The International Tennis Hall of Fame website states: "He played with an extreme Western grip—imagine picking up a frying pan from the bottom of the handle and rolling your pointer finger over the handle bevel. The grip isn’t natural, but it does force the racquet to roll over the ball and produce tremendous spin. The Western grip was popularised by Borg in the 1970s, but Lawford mastered the shot in his era."

Lawford was renowned for his combative and steadfast style of play, as well as his strength, speed, and remarkable accuracy. He was later inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006, and deserves to be remembered as an important figure in Scotland's tennis history.

The sportsman retained a close connection with Scotland even after he stopped playing tennis at the highest level. He retired in 1909 and moved to Aberdeenshire, where spent his final years in a house called Drumnagesk at Dess near Aboyne and even joined the local curling club.

Scottish Sports History wrote: "What makes his connection to Scotland much stronger is that he retained a close affinity to the country. He visited regularly and was a shooting tenant of Lauriston Castle near Montrose from the mid 1890s, eventually retiring in 1909 to Aberdeenshire.

"He bought a house called Drumnagesk at Dess, near Aboyne, where he spent the rest of his life, adding to his sporting interests by joining Aboyne Curling Club. He died there in 1925, aged 73."

More information about Herbert Lawford can be found on the International Tennis Hall of Fame website.

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