Norman Everard
Brookes
Male
Australia
1877-11-14
St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
1968-09-28
South Yarra, Australia
Brookes was a world No. 1 ranked player and later president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia. During his career he won three Grand Slam singles titles, Wimbledon in 1907 and 1914 and the Australasian Championships in 1911. Brookes was part of the Australasian Davis Cup team that won the title on six occasions. The Australian Open men's singles trophy, the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, is named in his honour.
Brookes was born in Melbourne, to a father, William Brookes, who had become rich from gold mining in the Bendigo area. He received a private education at Melbourne Grammar School. On leaving school, he went to work as a clerk at the Australian Paper Mills Co. Ltd where his father was managing director, and was on the board himself within eight years.
Brookes married 20-year-old Mabel Balcombe Emmerton, the daughter of Harry Emmerton, a solicitor, on 19 April 1911 at St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne. They had three daughters.
During World War I he served as commissioner of the Australian branch of the British Red Cross in Egypt.
As a youth Brookes played regularly on the court of the family mansion in Queens Road, Melbourne and nearby, at the Lorne St courts, he studied the strokes and tactics of leading players and was coached by Wilberforce Eaves.[3]
Brookes was the first non-British player and the first left-hander to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon.[4] He won the men's singles twice, first in 1907 and again in 1914. He also won the doubles in each of those years with New Zealander Anthony Wilding, whom he beat in the 1914 singles final. He was a major figure in establishing the Australian Open (known as the Australasian Championship until 1927), which he won in 1911. Brookes is considered to have been a World No. 1 player in the 1900s.
Brookes played 39 Davis Cup matches for Australia/New Zealand and the Australian Davis Cup Team between 1905 and 1920.
In May 1914 he won the singles title at the Surrey Lawn Championships in Surbiton, defeating Gordon Lowe in the final in five sets.[5]
Brookes was instrumental in the development of Kooyong as a tennis centre. In 1926 he became the first president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia, a post he held for the next 29 years until his retirement in June 1955.[6]
Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939.[8] His wife, Mabel, Lady Brookes (CBE in 1933) became Dame Mabel Brookes (DBE) in 1955 for her work in charities and social causes.
The trophy for men's singles at the Australian Open, the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, is named in his honour.[9]
He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977.
In 1981 he was honoured on a postage stamp issued by Australia Post depicting a cartoon image by Tony Rafty.[10]
1896 - 1928
20
226
177
1924 - Frinton-on-Sea (Amateur)
1914 - Cannes Métropole (Amateur)
1914 - French Switzerland Championships (Amateur)
1914 - Wimbledon (Grandslam)
1914 - Montreux Palace (Amateur)
1911 - Australian Open (Grandslam)
1911 - Victorian Championships (Amateur)
1907 - Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament (Open)
1907 - Wimbledon (Grandslam)
1906 - Victorian Championships (Amateur)
1906 - South Australian Championships ()
1906 - Geelong Easter Tournament (Amateur)
1905 - South of England Championships (Amateur)
1905 - Kent Championships (Open)
1904 - Victorian Championships (Amateur)
1904 - Geelong Easter Tournament (Amateur)
1903 - Geelong Easter Tournament (Amateur)
1903 - Victorian Championships (Amateur)
1902 - Victorian Championships (Amateur)
1900 - Metropolitan Cricket (MCC ) Autumn Tournament (Amateur)
Round 2
Jacques Georges Grandguillot 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Colin W.D. Wishart 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Hector Cosmo Fisher
6-2
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Donald Ross Rutnam
6-2
6-2
2-6
6-1
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Frank Hunter
3-6
6-3
6-4
5-7
6-3
Round 4
Jean Washer 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-2
7-5
6-4
Round 2
Hugh Garland Meem Kelleher 1 *
Norman Brookes
0-6
9-7
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
F.H. Taylor
6-1
6-0
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
J. Crewe Wood
6-0
6-3
Round 4
A. Félix Poulin 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 2
Runar Rafael Granholm 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Vladimir Landau
6-1
3-6
6-2
Round 3
Francis Riou Leighton-Crawford 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 2
Francis Riou Leighton-Crawford 1 *
Norman Brookes
2-6
6-1
7-5
6-2
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Gordon Lowe
6-2
6-4
Round 1
H.M. Mackay 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-3
3-6
6-3
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Nelson Campbell McLean
6-0
6-3
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Horace Rice
6-4
6-0
6-3
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Henry Marsh
6-4
6-1
3-6
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Peach 1 *
Norman Brookes
1-6
5-7
6-4
6-4
6-3
Challenge Round
Gerald Patterson 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-3
7-5
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Walter Lacy Pate
6-0
6-3
6-1
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Walter Kenneth Wesbrook
6-0
6-0
6-4
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
William H. Benedict
6-0
6-2
6-1
Round 4
Norman Brookes 1 *
Charles Stedman (Chuck) Garland
1-6
2-6
6-1
6-2
7-5
Quarterfinals
Bill Tilden 1 *
Norman Brookes
1-6
6-4
7-5
6-3
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Edward Druce (Ted) Yencken
6-0
6-0
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Samuel Percival England
6-0
6-1
6-3
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Leslie Newburn Rainey
6-1
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Ernest Rowe
6-1
6-2
6-4
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Henry Marsh
6-2
8-6
6-3
Final
Gerald Patterson 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-4
3-6
6-0
6-3
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Dean Mathey
6-4
6-1
Semifinals
Willis Davis 1 *
Norman Brookes
7-9
6-1
14-12
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Otto Froitzheim
10-8
6-1
6-2
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Oscar Kreuzer
6-4
6-2
6-8
6-2
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Bernard Schwengers
6-2
6-3
6-2
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Robert Powell
6-0
6-1
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Lawrence Francis Davin
6-0
6-0
6-0
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Major Josiah George Ritchie
6-1
6-0
6-1
Round 4
Norman Brookes 1 *
William L. Clements
6-3
6-0
6-0
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Gore
7-5
6-1
6-2
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Beamish
6-0
6-3
6-2
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Otto Froitzheim
6-2
6-1
5-7
4-6
8-6
Challenge Round
Norman Brookes 1 *
Tony Wilding
6-4
6-4
7-5
Round 1
J.F. Hubbard Jr. 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
D.W.C. Cohen
6-0
6-0
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Georges Gault
6-0
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred C. Hunter
6-1
6-1
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Gordon Lowe
6-4
6-1
Final
Tony Wilding 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-2
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Georges Ruhl
6-3
6-0
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Mark Hick
6-2
6-2
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Max Decugis
6-2
6-3
Final
Tony Wilding 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-4
6-2
6-1
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Ferdinand Boelling (Bölling)
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
George Anthony Greig
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Ferdinand Uhl
6-1
6-3
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Craig Biddle
6-4
6-1
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Max Decugis
4-6
6-1
6-2
6-1
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Marcel Maximilien Gautier
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
A. Tamburini
6-0
6-0
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Ludwig von Salm
6-3
8-6
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
S.P. Audéoud
6-1
6-2
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Ferdinand Uhl
6-1
6-2
6-4
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Ludwig von Salm
6-1
6-2
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Georges Manset
6-2
6-4
6-0
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
James Cecil Parke
6-2
4-6
6-3
1-6
7-5
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
William G. (Bunny) Ireland
6-0
6-2
6-0
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
L.S. Holmes
6-1
6-0
6-0
Round 3
Alfred Beamish 1 *
Norman Brookes
0-6
6-8
ret.
Poule
Maurice McLoughlin 1 *
Norman Brookes
17-15
6-3
6-3
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Dick Williams jr
6-1
6-2
8-10
6-3
Round 1
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Second Lieutenant John Alexander (Alec) Raws
6-1
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Leslie Norman Roebuck
6-0
6-1
6-0
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Harry Alabaster Parker
8-6
6-1
6-2
Final
Rodney Heath 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Leslie Norman Roebuck
6-0
6-1
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
W.A. Brown
6-0
6--0
6-0
Quarterfinals
Geoffrey Morton Ollivier 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Charles Dixon
6-2
6-4
6-4
Poule
James Cecil Parke 1 *
Norman Brookes
8-6
6-3
5-7
6-2
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Francis Earn Barritt
6-1
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Rodney Heath
4-6
6-4
6-2
6-3
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Robert Monteith Rolland
7-5
6-3
6-1
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Horace Rice
6-1
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Francis Earn Barritt
6-1
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Rodney Heath
4-6
6-4
6-2
6-3
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Robert Monteith Rolland
7-5
6-3
6-1
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Horace Rice
6-1
6-2
6-3
Round 1
John Peacock 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Maurice McLoughlin
6-4
3-6
4-6
6-3
6-4
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Beals Wright
6-4
2-6
6-3
6-3
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Percy Force Rowe
6-3
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Rodney Heath
6-2
6-3
6-0
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Horace Rice
6-3
6-2
6-1
Final
Tony Wilding 1 *
Norman Brookes
2-6
3-6
6-3
6-3
9-7
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Maurice McLoughlin
6-2
6-2
6-4
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Melville Long
6-4
7-5
8-6
Challenge Round
Arthur Gore 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Semifinals
Alfred Dunlop 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Poule
Beals Wright 1 *
Norman Brookes
0-3
3-6
7-5
6-2
12-10
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Fred Alexander
5-7
9-7
6-2
4-6
6-3
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
J.E. Boyd
6-0
6-1
6-1
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Tony Wilding
4-6
6-2
6-3
2-6
6-3
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Lowe
6-3
6-2
6-0
Round 4
Norman Brookes 1 *
Karl Howell Behr jr
6-4
6-2
2-6
3-6
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Sydney Adams
6-1
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Major Josiah George Ritchie
6-0
6-1
6-4
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Gore
6-4
6-2
6-2
Challenge Round
Norman Brookes 1 *
Hugh Lawrence (Laurie) Doherty
w.o.
Round 2
Cecil Stewart Hartley 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Frank Widdas
6-0
6-1
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Wallis Myers
6-3
7-5
Round 3
A.H. Green 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
G.R. Bennett
6-0
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Wilberforce Eaves
6-0
4-6
6-3
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Karl Howell Behr jr
4-6
6-4
6-1
6-2
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Beals Wright
6-4
6-4
6-2
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Harold King
w.o.
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Samuel Ernest (Ernest) Charlton
6-0
6-1
ret.
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Dr Allan Campbell Pearson
6-0
6-0
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Xenophon Casdagli (Kasdaglis)
6-0
6-2
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Herbert Roper Barrett
6-2
6-0
6-3
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Gore
7-5
6-1
7-5
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Roy Taylor
6-1
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Lionel Watson Hack
6-1
6-0
6-1
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
John Johnston Addison
6-2
6-2
6-2
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Rodney Heath
6-2
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
George Ward Cole Howitt
6-0
6-1
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Eric Pockley
6-1
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Dunlop
6-2
6-0
6-0
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Tony Wilding
6-0
6-4
9-7
Challenge Round
Arthur Gore 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Thomas Whitalaw (Tom) Tatchell
6-2
6-1
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Dunlop
6-3
6-2
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Rudolf (Rolf) Kinzl
6-0
6-1
6-2
Poule
Norman Brookes 1 *
Curt von Wessely
6-0
6-2
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
E.S. Salmon
6-0
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
George Caridia
6-2
6-1
6-0
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Lionel Escombe
6-3
6-4
6-4
Round 4
Norman Brookes 1 *
George Hillyard
6-3
6-1
6-3
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Frank Riseley
6-3
6-2
6-4
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Gore
6-3
9-7
6-2
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Sidney Howard Smith
1-6
6-4
6-1
1-6
7-5
Challenge Round
Hugh Lawrence (Laurie) Doherty 1 *
Norman Brookes
8-6
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
C.E. Hunter
6-2
6-3
6-0
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
John Flavelle
6-0
6-0
6-0
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Oswald Vernon Forbes
6-1
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Dunlop
6-3
6-0
6-2
Semifinals
Beals Wright 1 *
Norman Brookes
3-6
4-6
6-4
6-4
6-1
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Francis John Childs (John) Ganzoni
6-0
6-1
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Roderick McNair
6-3
3-0
ret.
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Wilberforce Eaves
6-2
6-4
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Herbert Bird Routledge
w.o.
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Gore
6-3
9-7
6-2
Challenge Round
Norman Brookes 1 *
Harold Segerson Mahony
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Charles Meunier-Surcouf
6-0
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Edward Gordon Peake
6-1
6-4
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Thomas Dudley Stoward
7-5
9-7
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Harry Alabaster Parker
7-5
4-6
6-2
Final
George Hillyard 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-2
2-6
6-3
6-0
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alexander Morrice MacKay
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
G.F. Goodman
w.o.
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
George Hillyard
6-3
2-6
6-2
Final
Sidney Howard Smith 1 *
Norman Brookes
15-13
6-4
4-6
6-4
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
C.W. Todd
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Hugh Widdas
6-2
6-2
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
H. Hills
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Sidney Howard Smith
8-6
1-6
6-4
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Hubert Laws
6-2
6-2
Final
Alfred Dunlop 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-3
6-3
7-5
Poule
Beals Wright 1 *
Norman Brookes
12-10
5-7
12-10
6-4
Poule
Bill Larned 1 *
Norman Brookes
14-12
6-0
6-3
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Haworth William Bartram
6-1
6-2
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Frederick William (Fritz) Goldberg
6-0
6-3
Round 3
Norman Brookes 1 *
Dudley Thomas Reynolds Larcombe
6-0
6-2
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Edward Roy (Roy) Allen
6-1
6-1
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Frank Riseley
6-3
6-3
6-1
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Sidney Howard Smith
8-6
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Albert Prebble 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Arthur Roy Taylor
6-1
6-2
7-5
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Ashley Campbell
6-0
6-3
6-1
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Stanley Doust
6-0
6-1
6-4
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Andrew Bernard (Barney) Murphy
6-0
6-2
6-0
Round 1
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Joseph Croswell Blair
6-2
6-0
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Dunlop
6-4
3-6
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Andrew Bernard (Barney) Murphy
6-1
6-3
6-3
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Joseph Croswell Blair
6-0
6-0
6-4
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Francis (Frank) Must
6-2
6-0
6-2
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Dunlop
6-0
4-6
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Louis George Humberstone Saxon
6-1
7-5
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Henry Francis De Little
6-1
6-3
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Basil Spence
6-4
6-3
Round 1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
H.G. Hastings
w.o.
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Thomas Carlyle Irving
6-0
7-5
6-0
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Dunlop
1-6
6-4
6-2
7-5
Round 1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Robert Matthew (Kiddie) Kidston
6-4
6-1
6-2
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Horace Rice
4-6
5-6
6-5
6-4
6-4
Final
Wilberforce Eaves 1 *
Norman Brookes
12-14
4-6
6-4
6-4
6-3
Round 1
S.S. Gaunt 1 *
Norman Brookes
w.o.
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Thomas Carlyle Irving
6-2
3-6
6-2
3-6
6-4
Semifinals
David Sutherland Edwards 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-4
3-6
6-1
4-6
6-4
Round 1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
William Alfred Westall Lang
6-1
6-1
6-1
Semifinals
Alfred Dunlop 1 *
Norman Brookes
2-6
2-6
6-2
6-0
6-2
Round 2
Norman Brookes 1 *
Louis George Humberstone Saxon
6-2
6-3
6-1
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Dr David Thomas Harbison
7-5
6-1
6-4
Semifinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Eric Pockley
6-3
7-5
6-1
Final
Thomas Carlyle Irving 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-3
6-1
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Benjamin (Ben) Green
6-1
6-3
6-3
Final
Norman Brookes 1 *
Alfred Dunlop
6-0
6-4
8-6
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
David Sutherland Edwards
6-4
6-4
6-3
Quarterfinals
Gus Kearney 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-3
6-1
4-6
6-2
Round 1
Norman Brookes 1 *
Robert Matthew (Kiddie) Kidston
12-10
6-4
6-4
Quarterfinals
Norman Brookes 1 *
Leslie Poidevin sr
7-5
6-3
5-7
3-6
6-0
Semifinals
David Leslie (Leslie) Gaden 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-0
6-3
6-3
Round 1
Alfred Dunlop 1 *
Norman Brookes
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Gus Kearney 1 *
Norman Brookes
10-8
7-5
6-1
Round 1
Thomas Whitalaw (Tom) Tatchell 1 *
Norman Brookes
4-6
2-6
6-2
7-5
6-3
Round 1
Thomas Carlyle Irving 1 *
Norman Brookes
2-6
6-3
6-2
6-3