View source for Major Ritchie

{{short description|English tennis player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
| name                             = Major Ritchie 
|image                             = J.G.Ritchie.jpg
|caption                           = 
|fullname                          = Major Josiah George Ritchie 
|country                           = {{GBR}}
|residence                         = 
|birth_date                        = {{birth date|1870|10|18|df=yes}}
|birth_place                       = [[Westminster]], England
|death_date                        = {{death date and age|1955|02|28|1870|10|18|df=yes}}
|death_place                       = [[Ashford, Middlesex]], England
|height                            = 
|college                           = 
|turnedpro                         = 1893 (amateur) 
|retired                           = 1933 
|plays                             = Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
|careerprizemoney                  = 
|tennishofyear                     = 
|tennishofid                       = 
|website                           = 
|singlesrecord                     = 1274–371 (77.4%)<ref name="The Tennis Base">{{cite web|title=Josiah (Major) Ritchie: Career match record|url=https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=playern&player_input_enc=RITCHIE%2C+JOSIAH&player_input=RITCHIE%2C+JOSIAH&sub=2#aSubmenu|website=thetennisbase.com|publisher=The Tennis Base|access-date=19 October 2017}}</ref>
|singlestitles                     = 131<ref name="The Tennis Base">{{cite web|title=Josiah (Major) Ritchie: Career match record|url=https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=playern&player_input_enc=RITCHIE%2C+JOSIAH&player_input=RITCHIE%2C+JOSIAH&sub=2#aSubmenu|website=thetennisbase.com|publisher=The Tennis Base|access-date=19 October 2017}}</ref>
|highestsinglesranking             = 
|AustralianOpenresult              =
|FrenchOpenresult                  =
|Wimbledonresult                   = F ([[1902 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1902]]<sup>{{Tooltip|AC|All-Comers}}</sup>, [[1903 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1903]]<sup>{{Tooltip|AC|All-Comers}}</sup>, [[1904 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1904]]<sup>{{Tooltip|AC|All-Comers}}</sup>, [[1909 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1909]]<sup>{{Tooltip|Ch|Challenge Round}}</sup>)
|USOpenresult                      = 
|Othertournaments                  = yes
|WCCCresult                        = SF ([[World Covered Court Championships|1920]])
|Olympicsresult                    = 
|doublesrecord                     = 
|doublestitles                     = 
|highestdoublesranking             =
|AustralianOpenDoublesresult       = 
|FrenchOpenDoublesresult           = 
|WimbledonDoublesresult            = '''W''' (1908, 1910)
|USOpenDoublesresult               = 
|OthertournamentsDoubles           =
|OlympicsDoublesresult             =  
|Mixed                             = 
|mixedrecord                       = 
|mixedtitles                       = 
|AustralianOpenMixedresult         = 
|FrenchOpenMixedresult             = 
|WimbledonMixedresult              = 
|USOpenMixedresult                 = 
| medaltemplates-expand       = yes
| medaltemplates              =
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games – [[Tennis at the Summer Olympics|Tennis]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908 London]] | [[Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's singles|Singles]] }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908 London]] | [[Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's doubles|Doubles]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908 London]] | [[Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's indoor singles|Indoor singles]]}}
}}

'''Major Josiah George Ritchie''' (18 October 1870 – 28 February 1955) was a [[tennis]] player from Great Britain. Major was his first name, not a military title.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ian Ritchie Bids Farewell|url=http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2011-12-14/201205101336652850736.html|publisher=Wimbledon|author=Alexandra Willis|date=14 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211175932/http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2011-12-14/201205101336652850736.html|archive-date=11 December 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He was born in Westminster, educated at Brighton College and died in Ashford,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/113 |title=Major Ritchie |work=Olympedia |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> [[Middlesex]].

==Career==
Ritchie was a three-time medalist at the [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908 London Olympics]],<ref name="sports-reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ri/josiah-ritchie-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171817/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ri/josiah-ritchie-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Major Ritchie Olympic Results |access-date=2014-01-27 |work=sports-reference.com}}</ref> winning a Gold (Men's Singles), Silver (Men's Doubles) and Bronze (Men's Indoor Singles) medal. He was the last British player to win an Olympic medal in singles until [[Andy Murray]] won Gold in the [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 games]], also in London. In 1908 and 1910 he and [[Anthony Wilding]] won the doubles in [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Lawn Tennis – Success of Wilding and Ritchie|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19100817.2.99|newspaper=Evening Post|date=17 August 1910|page=9}}</ref> In 1902 Ritchie reached the all comers final at Wimbledon, beating [[Sydney Howard Smith|Sydney Smith]] before losing to [[Laurence Doherty]].<ref name="aeltc">{{cite web |title=Wimbledon player profile – Major Ritchie |url=https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/draws_archive/player_profile/db752de4-ac99-4fb0-b768-ea555f9e84a2.html |publisher=[[AELTC]]}}</ref> In 1903 and 1904 Ritchie lost in the all comers final to [[Frank Riseley]]. In [[1909 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1909]] he reached the Wimbledon Challenge Round, beating [[Harry Parker (tennis)|Harry Parker]], [[Stanley Doust]], [[Charles P. Dixon]] and [[Herbert Roper Barrett]] before losing in five sets to [[Arthur Gore (tennis)|Arthur Gore]].<ref name="aeltc"/> In March 1907 Ritchie caused an upset by defeating [[Laurence Doherty]] in the [[Monte-Carlo Masters|Monte Carlo]] singles final.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132492464 |title=Lawn Tennis. |newspaper=[[The Border Mail|The Border Morning Mail and Riverina Times (Albury, NSW : 1903 - 1920)]] |location=Albury, NSW |date=19 March 1908  |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ritchie Beats H. Doherty|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=TH19070316.2.63.1|work=Taranaki Herald|issue=13425|volume=LIV|date=16 March 1907|page=5}}</ref> In June 1907 he won the [[Irish Championships]]. Ritchie was a five times winner of the [[German Open Tennis Championships|Championships of Germany]], played in Hamburg, from 1903 to 1906 and in 1908 (in 1904 and 1906 he also won the doubles title).{{efn|name=challenge|At the time the German Championships used the Challenge Round system. This meant that after winning his first German title in 1903 Ritchie did not have to play through the 1904 tournament but only played against the winner of the All Comers event, [[Kurt von Wessely]]. In 1905 and 1906 he defeated [[Anthony Wilding]] and [[Friedrich Wilhelm Rahe]] respectively in the Challenge Round.}}{{efn|name=cup|After winning his third German title in 1905 he became the owner of the cup, a general custom at the time. The cup was in all likelihood lost when his house was bombed in World War II.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gillmeister|first=Heiner|title=Tennis : A Cultural History|url=https://archive.org/details/tennisculturalhi0000gill|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=New York University Press|location=Washington Square, N.Y.|isbn=081473121X|page=[https://archive.org/details/tennisculturalhi0000gill/page/409 409]}}</ref>}} He was also a five-time winner of the singles title at the [[Austrian Open Kitzbühel|Austrian Championship]] (from 1900 to 1903 and 1905). In 1908 he was member of the British [[Davis Cup]] team. He won three consecutive titles at the [[Surrey Grass Court Championships|Surrey Championships]] from 1908 to 1910.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lawn Tennis – Surrey Championships|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19100709.2.131|newspaper=Evening Post|date=9 July 1910|page=14}}</ref>

Other career highlights include winning the [[Riviera Championships]] at Menton, France four times (1904–1905, 1907–1908), the [[French Covered Court Championships]] four times (1899, 1902, 1905, 1908) . In 1911 Ritchie won the Queen's Club Covered Courts Championship, defeating Wilding in five sets. In 1919 he won the [[Ilkley Open Lawn Tennis Tournament]]. In 1920, at age 50, he reached the semifinal of the [[World Covered Court Championships]] at the [[Queen's Club]] in London.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Late M.J.G. Ritchie|journal=Lawn Tennis and Badminton|date=15 March 1955|volume=XLI (New Series)|issue=6|page=121}}</ref>

Ritchie was also active in other sports. In 1903 he competed in a regatta in Laleham and won the single sculls and coxless pairs events. In addition, he competed in table tennis and was the secretary of the Table Tennis Association, founded in 1902.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gillmeister|first=Heiner|title=Tennis : A Cultural History|url=https://archive.org/details/tennisculturalhi0000gill|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=New York University Press|location=Washington Square, N.Y.|isbn=081473121X|page=[https://archive.org/details/tennisculturalhi0000gill/page/299 299]}}</ref> That year he co-wrote a book on table tennis titled ''Table tennis and how to play it, with rules''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Table tennis and how to play it, with rules|url=https://archive.org/details/tabletennishowto00ritc|date=1902|publisher=C. Arthur Pearson|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/tabletennishowto00ritc/page/47 47]|author=M.J.G. Ritchie|oclc=5651743}}</ref> In 1909 he authored ''The Text Book of Lawn Tennis''.<ref>{{cite book|title=The text book of lawn tennis|publisher=Worldcat|oclc=18138944}}</ref>

==Grand Slam finals==

===Singles (1 runner-up)===

{|class="sortable wikitable" 
!Result
!Year
!style="width:130px"|Championship
!Surface
!style="width:170px"|Opponent
!style="width:160px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1909 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1909 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] || Grass || {{flagicon|UKGBI}} [[Arthur Gore (tennis)|Arthur Gore]] || 8–6, 6–1, 2–6, 2–6, 2–6
|}

===Doubles (2 titles)===
{|class="sortable wikitable" 
!Result
!Year
!style="width:130px"|Championship
!Surface
!style="width:170px"|Partner
!style="width:170px"|Opponents
!style="width:140px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1908 ||style="background:#cfc;"| [[1908 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] || Grass || {{flagicon|NZL}} [[Anthony Wilding]] || {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Arthur Gore (tennis)|Arthur Gore]] <br/> {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Herbert Roper Barrett]] || 6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 9–7
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1910 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1910 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] || Grass || {{flagicon|NZL}} Anthony Wilding || {{flagicon|GBR}} Arthur Gore <br/> {{flagicon|GBR}} Herbert Roper Barrett || 6–1, 6–1, 6–2

|}

==Performance timeline==

{{Performance key|active=no}}
<small>Events with a challenge round: (W<sub>C</sub>) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (F<sub>A</sub>) all comers' finalist</small>
<div style="overflow: auto;">
{| class="wikitable nowrap" style=font-size:86%;text-align:center
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! style="width:70px;"| !! 1897 !! 1898 !! 1899 !! 1900 !! 1901 !! 1902 !! 1903 !! 1904 !! 1905 !! 1906 !! 1907 !! colspan=2|1908 !! 1909 !! 1910 !! 1911 !! colspan=2|1912 !! 1913 !! 1914 !! 1915 !! 1916 !! 1917 !! 1918 !! 1919 !! 1920 !! 1921 !! 1922 !! 1923 !! 1924 !! 1925 !! 1926
! style="width:40px;" | SR
! style="width:40px;" | {{Tooltip| W–L | Win–loss}}
! style="width:40px;" | Win %
|-
!style="text-align:left;" colspan=33 |[[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam tournaments]] !! 0 / 24 !! 62–24 !! 72.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" bgcolor=efefef |[[French Open|French]]
| colspan=20 style=color:#767676|Only for French club members
| colspan=5 style=color:#767676|Not held
| colspan=5 style=color:#767676|Only for French club members
| A
| A
| bgcolor=efefef |0 / 0
| bgcolor=efefef |0–0
| bgcolor=efefef |–
|-
|style="text-align:left;" bgcolor=efefef |[[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1897 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|2R]]
| bgcolor=ffebcd  |[[1898 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|QF]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1899 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1900 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1901 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| bgcolor=thistle |[[1902 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|F<sub>A</sub>]]
| bgcolor=thistle |[[1903 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|F<sub>A</sub>]]
| bgcolor=thistle |[[1904 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|F<sub>A</sub>]]
| bgcolor=yellow  |[[1905 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| bgcolor=ffebcd  |[[1906 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|QF]]
| bgcolor=yellow  |[[1907 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| colspan=2 bgcolor=yellow  |[[1908 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| bgcolor=thistle |[[1909 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|CR]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1910 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1911 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
| colspan=2 bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1912 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
| A
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1914 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| colspan=4 style=color:#767676|Not held
| bgcolor=yellow  |[[1919 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1920 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1921 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1922 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1923 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1924 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| A
| bgcolor=afeeee  |[[1926 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
| bgcolor=efefef |0 / 24
| bgcolor=efefef |62–24
| bgcolor=efefef |72.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" bgcolor=efefef |[[US Open (tennis)|U.S.]]
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| colspan=2|A
| A
| A
| A
| colspan=2|A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| bgcolor=efefef |0 / 0
| bgcolor=efefef |0–0
| bgcolor=efefef |–
|-
|style="text-align:left;" bgcolor=efefef |[[Australian Open|Australian]]
| colspan=8 style=color:#767676|Not held
| A
| A
| A
| colspan=2|A
| A
| A
| A
| colspan=2|A
| A
| A
| A
| colspan=3 style=color:#767676|Not held
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| A
| bgcolor=efefef |0 / 0
| bgcolor=efefef |0–0
| bgcolor=efefef |–
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|style="text-align:left;" bgcolor=efefef |'''Win–loss'''
| 0–1
| 2–1
| 1–1
| 1–1
| 1–1
| 4–1
| 4–1
| 5–1
| 4–1
| 3–1
| 4–1
| colspan=2|4–1
| 7–1
| 2–1
| 3–1
| colspan=2|3–1
| 
| 1–1
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 5–1
| 2–1
| 2–1
| 2–1
| 0–1
| 2–1
|
| 0–1
|colspan=3|
|-
| colspan="36" align="left" |'''National representation'''
|-
|align=left|[[Tennis at the Summer Olympics|Olympics]]
|colspan=3 style=color:#767676|Not held
|A
|colspan=3 style=color:#767676|Not held
|A
|colspan=3 style=color:#767676|Not held
|bgcolor=gold|[[Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's outdoor singles|'''G''']]
|bgcolor=#cc9966|[[Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's indoor singles|'''B''']]
|colspan=3 style=color:#767676|Not held
|A
|A
|colspan=7 style=color:#767676|Not held
|A
|colspan=3 style=color:#767676|Not held
|A
|colspan=2 style=color:#767676|Not held
|1 / 2
|5–1
|83.3
|}
</div>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Josiah Ritchie}}
* {{ATP}}
* {{ITF}}
* {{Davis Cup player}}
* {{databaseOlympics|RITCHMAJ01|archive=20121010035800}}
* {{SR/Olympics|ri/josiah-ritchie-1|archive=20161203211554}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com}}

{{Wimbledon men's doubles champions}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Tennis Men}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritchie, Josiah}}
[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1955 deaths]]
[[Category:English male tennis players]]
[[Category:British male tennis players]]
[[Category:English Olympic competitors]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic tennis players for Great Britain]]
[[Category:People from Westminster]]
[[Category:Tennis players from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Tennis players at the 1908 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Wimbledon champions (pre-Open Era)]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in tennis]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's doubles]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:19th-century male tennis players]]