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Garland is the real (tennis) deal

Heard the one about the Jewish real tennis player? It sounds unlikely. The famous quip goes that the shortest book in the world is about Jewish athletes. But Tony Garland’s career in the sport, made famous by Henry VIII’s playing at Hampton Court, is an unlikely part of the story.

October 29, 2018 09:55
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2 min read

Speaking from Lord’s, where he still works part-time, the spry 76-year-old recounts: “I think I am the first Jewish real tennis professional. There was a chap called Kenny Jacobs in New York. I never met him, but I think he was also Jewish. Either he or I was the first.”

Lord’s is home to one of only 25 real tennis courts in the UK. They have a stone floor, a roof and the sport is played with hard balls (more akin to a cricket than a tennis ball). There are another 15 or so courts around the world, mainly in the USA, France and Australia.

Garland served as one of the three professionals at Lord’s during the 1980s. He thereby became one of the elite group of 120 or so professionals around the world. The duties involved coaching, as well as making the balls, stringing rackets and keeping the score, which he assures us is not simple.

He was a professional for five years, playing in a few tournaments - most of the players were much younger -  and then afterwards, becoming a locum pro. More recently, he has come across a number of outstanding players, including the current women’s world champion, who was an intern at Lord’s.