# World Hard Court Championships

World Hard Court Championships were an annual major tennis tournament sanctioned by the International Lawn Tennis Federation, held from 1912 to 1923. It was principally held in Paris, on clay courts of the Stade Français in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud, with one exception when the tournament was held at the Royal Leopold Club in Brussels, Belgium, in 1922.
The name of the event referred to its venues that were surfaced with clay, which at the time was customarily transcribed as "hard court" in English. It was open to all international amateur players from all nationalities, unlike the French Championships, which were open only to tennis players who were members of clubs in France through 1924; because of this the World Hard Court Championships is sometimes considered as the proper precursor to the French Open. The French Championships were also held at a different venue at the time, the Racing Club de France, Paris.
At an annual general meeting held on 16 March 1923 in Paris, the International Lawn Tennis Federation issued the ‘Rules of Tennis’ that were adopted with public effect on 1 January 1924. The United States became an affiliated member of the International Lawn Tennis Federation. The World Championship title was also dropped at this meeting and a new category of Official Championship was created for events in Great Britain, France, USA and Australia – today’s Grand Slam events. The World Hard Court Championships tournament was then disbanded by the International Lawn Tennis Federation.
The World Hard Court Championships was not played in 1924, when Paris hosted the Olympic Games and its tennis tournament, also held on clay courts, took the place of the championship. In 1925 the French Championships opened to international competitors for the first time, with the event held alternately between the Stade Français (1925, 1927), which was the site of the World Hard Court Championships, and the Racing Club de France (1926), which was the site of the previous French Championship. From 1928, the French Championships moved to Stade Roland Garros.
Anthony Wilding was the only male multiple champion in the singles event, winning the title in 1913 and 1914, while Suzanne Lenglen won the women's singles title four times (1914, 1921–23).

## Champions
### Men's singles

| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1912 | Otto Froitzheim | Oscar Kreuzer | 6–2, 7–5, 4–6, 7–5 |
| 1913 | Anthony Wilding | André Gobert | 6–3, 6–3, 1–6, 6–4 |
| 1914 | Anthony Wilding | Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten | 6–0, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1915 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1916 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1917 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1918 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1920 | William Laurentz | André Gobert | 9–7, 6–2, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1921 | Bill Tilden | Jean Washer | 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1922 | Henri Cochet | Manuel de Gomar | 6–0, 2–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1923 | Bill Johnston | Jean Washer | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1924 | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) |

### Women's singles

| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1912 | Marguerite Broquedis | Mieken Rieck | 6–3, 0–6, 6–4 |
| 1913 | Mieken Rieck | Marguerite Broquedis | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1914 | Suzanne Lenglen | Germaine Golding | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1915 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1916 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1917 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1918 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1920 | Dorothy Holman | Francisca Subirana | 6–0, 7–5 |
| 1921 | Suzanne Lenglen | Molla Mallory | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1922 | Suzanne Lenglen | Elizabeth Ryan | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1923 | Suzanne Lenglen | Kitty McKane | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1924 | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) |

### Men's doubles

| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1912 | Otto Froitzheim Oscar Kreuzer | Harold Kitson Charles Winslow | 4–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1913 | Moritz von Bissing Heinrich Kleinschroth | Otto Froitzheim Anthony Wilding | 7–5, 0–6, 6–3, 8–6 |
| 1914 | Max Decugis Maurice Germot | Arthur Gore Algernon Kingscote | 6–1, 11–9, 6–8, 6–2 |
| 1915 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1916 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1917 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1918 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1920 | André Gobert William Laurentz | Cecil Blackbeard Nicolae Mişu | 6–4, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1921 | André Gobert William Laurentz | Pierre Albarran Alain Gerbault | 6–4, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 |
| 1922 | Jean Borotra Henri Cochet | Marcel Dupont Nicolae Mişu | 6–8, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1923 | Jacques Brugnon Marcel Dupont | Léonce Aslangul Uberto de Morpurgo | 10–12, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1924 | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) |

### Women's doubles

| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1912 | No women's doubles held | No women's doubles held | No women's doubles held |
| 1913 | No women's doubles held | No women's doubles held | No women's doubles held |
| 1914 | Suzanne Lenglen Elizabeth Ryan | Blanche Amblard Suzanne Amblard | 6–0, 6–0 |
| 1915 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1916 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1917 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1918 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1920 | Dorothy Holman Phyllis Satterthwaite | Germaine Golding Jeanne Vaussard | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1921 | Germaine Golding Suzanne Lenglen | Dorothy Holman Irene Peacock | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1922 | Suzanne Lenglen Elizabeth Ryan | Winifred Beamish Kitty McKane | 6–0, 6–4 |
| 1923 | Winifred Beamish Kitty McKane | Germaine Golding Suzanne Lenglen | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1924 | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) |

### Mixed doubles

| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1912 | Max Decugis Anne de Borman | Heinrich Kleinschroth Mieken Rieck | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 1913 | Max Decugis Elizabeth Ryan | Anthony Wilding Germaine Golding | walkover |
| 1914 | Max Decugis Elizabeth Ryan | Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten Suzanne Lenglen | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1915 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1916 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1917 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1918 | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) | No competition (due to World War I) |
| 1920 | William Laurentz Germaine Golding | Max Decugis Suzanne Amblard | walkover |
| 1921 | Max Decugis Suzanne Lenglen | William Laurentz Germaine Golding | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1922 | Henri Cochet Suzanne Lenglen | Brian Gilbert Geraldine Beamish | 6–4, 4–6, 6–0 |
| 1923 | Henri Cochet Suzanne Lenglen | Brian Gilbert Kitty McKane | 6–2, 10–8 |
| 1924 | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) | No competition (Paris Olympics held instead) |