Donald Stewart (tennis)


Donald Stewart was a British tennis player in the early years of Wimbledon who was ranked World No 6 in 1883 and 1884. He won four career singles titles.

Career

He played his first tournament at the Sussex Championships in April 1882 on indoor hard courts where he reached the final. He lost in the first round of Wimbledon 1882 to Richard Richardson. At Wimbledon 1883 Stewart beat Harry Grove, Claude Farrer, Herbert Wilberforce and William Taylor and then lost in the all comer's final to Ernest Renshaw. He won his first title at Cheltenham in June 1883. In June 1884 he won titles at Cheltenham and Waterloo in July at Wimbledon in 1884 he lost in the first round to Ernest Browne. In August 1884 Stewart won the prestigious Northern Championships at Liverpool in 1884. In July 1885 Stewart lost an epic five set match to Ernest Renshaw in round one. In August he reached the finals of the Middlesex Championships at Chiswick before losing to Herbert Chipp, He played his last tournament at the Northern Championships in late August as defending champion he lost in the challenge round to challenger James Dwight in straight sets. Sadly a career that had shown such promise was cut tragically short when Stewart died aged just 25 in 1885.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)

All-comers final
ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1883WimbledonGrass Ernest Renshaw6–0, 3–6, 0–6, 2–6