Photo: photographer unidentified / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Anthony Wilding's story tightens my chest a little. Born in Christchurch in 1883 and hailed as tennis's first true superstar, he was also a Cambridge-educated barrister, a military officer and a cricketer, a breadth of talent that feels almost impossible now. Then 1915 came, and he was killed in action in the First World War at just thirty-one. There is something devastating about a sport's reigning idol being swallowed by that conflict. His 1978 Hall of Fame induction was overdue justice. To me he represents both the elegance and the fragility of an era when tennis was still a gentleman's pursuit, and I do not want that memory to fade.
Overview
Anthony Frederick Wilding (31 October 1883 – 9 May 1915), also known as Tony Wilding, was a New Zealand world No. 1 tennis player and soldier who was killed in action during World War I. Considered the world's first tennis superstar, Wilding was the son of wealthy English immigrants to Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand and enjoyed the use of private tennis courts at their home.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Anthony Wilding
- Name (Japanese)
- アンソニー・ワイルディング
- Reading
- あんそにー・わいるでぃんぐ
- Born
- October 31, 1883 – May 9, 1915
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Goat
- Origin
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 187 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- tennis player / barrister / military officer / cricketer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Cambridge
Awards & achievements
- 1978 International Tennis Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Tennis player — see all → · More people from New Zealand →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.