The 1896 Women's Tennis Season was a worldwide tennis circuit composed of 88 major, national, regional, provincial, state, county, metropolitan, city and regular tournaments. The season began on 13 January in Nice, France and ended on 30 December in Nelson, New Zealand.
Season summary The 1896 season began on 13 January in Nice, France with the Nice LTC Championships; the singles event was won by British player Mrs A. Booth who defeated her daughter Katherine Booth in the final.
The first major event of the season was the Irish Championships the concluded on 30 May at the Fitzwilliam Club in Dublin, Ireland, the singles event was won by Ireland's Louisa Martin who defeated England's Charlotte Cooper in three sets.
On 20 June at the second major event of the season the Northern Championships held at the Northern Lawn Tennis Club in Manchester, England, the singles event was won by Ireland's Louisa Martin her second major of the season, when she Englands Blanche Hillyard in straight sets.
In North America the third major tournament of the season the U.S. National Championships was played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, United States, concluding on 21 June and was won by Elisabeth Moore who defeated Juliette Atkinson in four sets.
At the fourth and final major tournament of the year the Wimbledon Championships played at the All England Club, Wimbledon, England, the singles event final on 15 July was won by England's Charlotte Cooper who defeated Alice Pickering in two sets, claiming her second Wimbledon title.
The 1896 women's tennis season concluded on 30 December in Nelson, New Zealand with the New Zealand Championships, the singles title was won by Kate Nunneley who defeated a Miss Kennedy in two sets..TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING AT NELSON, N.Z. New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVIII, Issue III, 16 January 1897, Page 54.
Season results Notes:Hard includes asphalt, cement and concrete tennis courts, some European tournaments use the term to define clay courts they are shown as clay.
Key Tournaments Major National Professional Worldwide Team SurfaceCanvas – Indoor (0)Clay – Outdoor (25)Clay – Indoor (0)Grass – Outdoor (55)Hard – Outdoor (5)Wood – Indoor (3)
January EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist13 Jan.Nice LTC ChampionshipsNice, FranceClay Mrs Alfred Booth7-5, 4-6, 6-1 Katherine Booth 18 Jan.Western Province ChampionshipsCape Town, South AfricaClay Frances Sarah Green6-4, 6-1 Lettie Myburgh
February EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist22 Feb.Otago LTA TournamentDunedin, New ZealandGrass Freda Campbell9-7 (one set only) Lily Mackerras
March EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist7 Mar.Auckland LTA ChampionshipsAuckland, New ZealandGrass Annie Nicholson6-3, 6-3 Ruth Spiers 7 Mar.Singapore LLTC Spring OpenSingaporeGrass Mrs. Waddell6-1, 6-3 Mrs Murray 14 Mar.South Australian ChampionshipsAdelaide, AustraliaGrass Lilian Payne6-3, 6-3 Maisie Parr 22 Mar.South of France ChampionshipsNice, FranceClay Katherine Boothwon Adine Masson 29 Mar.Monte-Carlo (Second Meeting)Monte Carlo II, MonacoClay Blanche Hillyardwon Alice Taunton-Collins 29 Mar.Monte-Carlo InternationalMonte Carlo, MonacoClay Katherine Booth (2)won Mlle Guillon
April EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist8 Apr.Whakatane TournamentWhakatane, New ZealandGrass Jane McGarvey4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Mary Butler 14 Apr.Tasmanian ChampionshipsHobart, AustraliaGrass Nina Rock0-6, 6-4, 6-2 Elizabeth Howe 18 Apr.British Covered Court ChampionshipsWest Kensington, Great BritainWood (i) Edith Austin6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Charlotte Cooper
May EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist9 May.New South Wales ChampionshipsSydney, AustraliaGrass Kate Nunneley6-2, 6-0 Mabel Shaw 17 May.Championships of the Hawaiian IslandsHonolulu, Republic of HawaiiClay May Hart6-2, 6-0, 6-0 Grace King 26 May.Tynedale OpenHexham, Great BritainGrass Beatrice Draffen6-4, 8-6 Lucy Kendal 26 May.Ealing ChampionshipsWest Ealing, Great BritainGrass Alice Brown7-5, 6-4 Henrietta Horncastle 30 May.German ChampionshipsHamburg, GermanyClay Maren Thomsen6-3, 6-2, 7-5 E. Lantzius 30 May.Irish ChampionshipsDublin, IrelandGrass Louisa Martin6-0, 3-6, 6-2 Charlotte Cooper
June EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist6 Jun.Middlesex ChampionshipsChiswick Park, Great BritainGrass Charlotte Cooper6-4, 6-2 Edith Austin 6 Jun.Baden Baden InternationalBaden-Baden, GermanyClay Elsie Lane6-1, 6-0 Frl Zographo 6 Jun.Championships of New JerseyRidgewood, United StatesGrass Elisabeth Moore6-4, 6-8, 6-1 Lulu Mowry 7 Jun.Austrian Lawn Tennis TournamentPrague, BohemiaClay Renate Birgin6-3, 7-5 Karolina von Nostitz 8 Jun.Leiden ChampionshipsLeiden, NetherlandsClay Nellie Matthes3-6, 6-4, 6-4 Anny Brants 13 Jun.Middle States ChampionshipsMontrose, United StatesGrass Elisabeth Moore (2)2-6, 6-3, 2-1, retd. Juliette Atkinson 13 Jun.Kent County ChampionshipsBlackheath, Great BritainGrass Georgina Wilson6-3, 6-3 K. M. Fraser 20 Jun.Northern ChampionshipsLiverpool, Great BritainGrass Louisa Martin (2)6-2, 7-5 Blanche Hillyard 20 Jun.Kent ChampionshipsBeckenham, Great BritainGrass Edith Austin (2)6-4, 2-6, 6-4 Ruth Pennington-Legh 21 Jun.U.S. National ChampionshipsPhiladelphia, United StatesGrass Elisabeth Moore (3)6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Juliette Atkinson 27 Jun.London ChampionshipsWest Kensington II, Great BritainGrass Charlotte Cooper (2)6-3, 6-2 Agatha Templeman 27 Jun.Burton-on-Trent OpenBurton-on-Trent, Great BritainGrass Elsie Lane (2)4-6, 6-0, 6-3 Ida Cressy 29 Jun.Championships of BerlinBerlin, GermanyClay Clara von der Schulenburg6-3, 6-1, 6-2 Tila Steinmann
July EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist4 Jul.West of England ChampionshipsBristol, Great BritainGrass Charlotte Cooper (3)4-6, 7-5, 6-3 Ruth Dyas 4 Jul.Gipsy ChampionshipsStamford Hill, Great BritainGrass Agatha Templeman6-2, 6-3 Amy Wilson 4 Jul.Nottinghamshire OpenNottingham, Great BritainGrass Frances Snook6-1, 6-1 Miss Hungerford 8 Jul.Lawn Tennis: Warwickshire Championship Meeting North London Tournament". Sporting Life. 8 July 1896. p. 3.Warwickshire ChampionshipsLeamington Spa, Great BritainGrass Alice Pickering4-6, 7-5, 7-5 Ruth Dyas 11 Jul.Sheffield and Hallamshire ChampionshipsSheffield, Great BritainGrass Gertrude Provis6-4, 6-4 Beatrice Draffen 13 Jul.Anglo Dutch OpenRotterdam, NetherlandsHard E. Viruly6-3, 6-5 J. Viruly 18 Jul.Canadian ChampionshipsNiagara-on-the-Lake, CanadaGrass Juliette Atkinson6-1, 6-2 Mrs Sydney Smith 21 Jul.Wimbledon ChampionshipsWimbledon, Great BritainGrass Charlotte Cooper (4)6-2, 6-3 Alice Pickering 25 Jul.Washington State TournamentSeattle, United StatesClay Miss Kershaw6-4, 6-5 Miss Folsom 25 Jul.Natal ChampionshipsDurban, South AfricaGrass Norah Hickman6-4, 6-2 Una Turnbull 25 Jul.Midland Counties ChampionshipsEdgbaston, Great BritainGrass Bertha Steedman6-4, 6-2 Katherine Grey 31 Jul.Llandudno OpenCraigside, Great BritainGrass Winifred Longhurst6-0, 6-2 Emma Ridding
August EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist1 Aug.Northumberland County ChampionshipsNewcastle, Great BritainGrass Blanche Hillyard (2)7-5, 6-0 Bertha Steedman 5 Aug.West of Scotland ChampionshipsWemyss Bay, Great BritainGrass Lottie Paterson6-1, 6-1 K. Jackson 7 Aug.British Columbia ChampionshipsVictoria, CanadaGrass Muriel Goward6-0, 5-7, 6-2 Bessie Burton 8 Aug.Stroud OpenStroud, Great BritainGrass Emma Ridding1-6, 6-1, 6-4 Miss Rose 9 Aug.Scottish ChampionshipsMoffat, Great BritainGrass Lottie Paterson (2)6-3, 8-6 Ida Cressy 11 Aug.Netherlands National ChampionshipsThe Hague, NetherlandsClay Anthonie van Akenwon E. Viruly 12 Aug.Pacific Northwest ChampionshipsTacoma, United StatesClay Jessica Kershaw4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Miss Riggs 14 Aug.East of England ChampionshipsColchester, Great BritainGrass Emma Ridding (2)divided title & prizes Henrica Ridding 15 Aug.Derbyshire ChampionshipsBuxton, Great BritainGrass Blanche Hillyard (3)6-4, 3-6, 7-5 Bertha Steedman 15 Aug.Trefriw OpenConway, Great BritainGrass Ruth Dyas6-1, 6-0 Constance Hill 18 Aug.Championships of SwitzerlandSt. Moritz, SwitzerlandClay Mlle. de Salignac-Fénelon7-5, 6-8, 6-2 Paulina Palffy 20 Aug.Scheveningen InternationalScheveningen, NetherlandsClay Anthonie van Aken (2)6-0, 6-2 Christine van Lennep 20 Aug.Suffolk ChampionshipsSaxmundham, Great BritainGrass Henrietta Horncastle0-6, 7-5, 6-3 Henrica Ridding 21 Aug.North Wales ChampionshipsCriccieth, Great BritainGrass Mary Pick6-3, 6-3 Miss Coxson 22 Aug.Yorkshire OpenScarborough, Great BritainGrass Lucy Kendal6-0, 8-6 Beatrice Draffen 24 Aug.First English Club ChampionshipsVienna, AustriaClay Frl. Berger6-3, 3-6, 15-13 Frl. Fanger 27 Aug.Homburg Ladies CupBad Homburg, GermanyClay Elsie Lane (3)6-0, 6-2 Toupie Lowther 28 Aug.Hudson River Association ChampionshipsPoughkeepsie, United StatesGrass Mabel Ferris6-0, 6-2, 6-2 Augusta Chapman 29 Aug.Queensland ChampionshipsBrisbane, AustraliaGrass Ethel Mant6-2, 6-1 Amy Pratten 29 Aug.Southern California ChampionshipsSanta Monica, United StatesHard Marion Jones6-1, 6-0 Miss Hendrick 30 Aug.Étretat International ChampionshipsÉtretat, FranceClay Mrs Taunton-Collins6-1, 6-0 Mlle Kahn 30 Aug.Niagara International ChampionshipNiagara-on-the-Lake, CanadaGrass Juliette Atkinson (2)6-2, 7-5 Kathleen Atkinson 31 Aug.Marion T.C. Ladies OpenSeattle, United StatesClay Miss Riley4-6, 6-4, 4-3 retired Mrs. Howell
September EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist1 Sep.Boulogne International ChampionshipBoulogne-sur-Mer, FranceClay Lottie Paterson (3)6-0, 6-0 Florence Gould 1 Sep.Singapore LLTC Autumn OpenSingaporeGrass Mrs. G.S. Murray6-4, 6-1 Mrs. Salzmann 4 Sep.Bournemouth OpenBournemouth, Great BritainGrass Violet Pinckney6-3, 6-1 Amy Ransome 6 Sep.City of Toronto ChampionshipsToronto, CanadaGrass Juliette Atkinson (3)6-3, 6-3 M. Davis 7 Sep.Ladies Western States ChampionshipsChicago, United StatesGrass Jennie Craven8-6, 6-3, 6-0 Carrie Neely 9 Sep.Pacific Coast ChampionshipsDel Monte, United StatesHard Bee Hooperdefault? 13 Sep.Dinard Ladies CupDinard, FranceClay Ivy Arbuthnotdefault May Arbuthnot 13 Sep.South of England ChampionshipsEastbourne, Great BritainGrass Blanche Hillyard (4)6-3, 4-6, 6-1 Edith Austin 13 Sep.Sleepy Hollow OpenTarrytown, United StatesClay Mabel Ferris (2)4-6, 6-3, 6-3 Carrie Ferris 15 Sep.Hilversum InternationalHilversum, NetherlandsHard Fanny Blijdenstein6-5, 6-1 Christine van Lennep 19 Sep.Lawn Tennis. France. Freeman's Journal. 26 September 1896. p. 7. Saint-Servant Ladies CupSaint-Servan-sur-Mer, FranceClay Ivy Arbuthnot (2)6-3, 9-7 Patricia Richardson 21 Sep.Sussex ChampionshipsBrighton, Great BritainGrass Blanche Hillyard (5)3-6, 6-4, 6-1 Charlotte Cooper 26 Sep.Welsh Covered Court ChampionshipsLlandudno, Great BritainWood (i) Alice Pickering (2)6-1, 7-5 Henrica Ridding 26 Sep.Staten Island Ladies Club OpenLivingston, United StatesGrass Bessie Moore (4)6-2, 5-7, 6-1 Helen Hellwig 29 Sep.Bohemian Crown Lands ChampionshipsPrague II, BohemiaClay Milada Cifkova6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Gabby Rössler 29 Sep.City of Prague ChampionshipsPrague III, BohemiaClay Hedwig Rosenbaum6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 Milada Cifkova
October EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist10 Oct.Hunter River District LTA TournamentStockton, AustraliaGrass Miss Bowden6-2, 6-1 Miss Grierson
November EndedTournamentWinnerFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist14 Nov.Victorian ChampionshipsMelbourne, AustraliaGrass Phoebe Howitt6-2, 6-2 Constance Raleigh 21 Nov.Western Australian ChampionshipsPerth, AustraliaAsphalt Miss Stewart6-0, 6-4 Mabel Lee-Steer 29 Nov.French Covered Court ChampionshipsParis, FranceWood (i) Adine Masson7-5, 6-4 Phoebe Riseley Hausburg
December