The Centenary Tennis Clubs Association welcomed four new members in 2020. In addition to the Tennis Club Stade Lausanne (Switzerland) and Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club (USA), both presented below, we welcome Club de Tennis las Terrazas Miraflores (Peru) and Sutter Lawn Tennis Club, (USA).
Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club
SLT&CC was organized in 1877 and incorporated in 1886. It is the oldest lawn tennis and cricket club in the United States. The Club’s founding mission statement was “to foster and maintain the highest ideals of sportsmanship.” The first Club tennis championships were played in August 1879.
Our Clubhouse was designed by James Renwick, one of the foremost architects in the USA. He also designed St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. In 1992, the Club house was named a National Historic Landmark. This is the nation’s highest designation for buildings or sites which possess national significance in commemorating the history of our country.
The Club’s facilities consist of 16 grass courts, 15 Har-Tru clay courts, 1 hard court, 4 paddle tennis courts, and 1 pickle-ball court.
SLT&CC has had a long affiliation with the USLTA and its successor, the USTA. Many of our members held important positions with the USLTA. Holcomb Ward, a past president of SLT&CC, was president of the USLTA and co-founder of Davis and Prentice Cups. Dwight Davis, a SLT&CC member, was co-founder of International Lawn Tennis Challenge, the Davis Cup.»
Stade Lausanne Tennis Club
A proud member of the local community for 100 years, the Tennis Club Stade-Lausanne has many stories to tell. From humble beginnings in 1920 on the shores of Lac Léman – only eighteen members playing on two courts – the club now has over 1400 members playing on eighteen clay courts, making it one of the largest tennis clubs in Switzerland. However, Stade’s history is not only told in tennis but also in its architecture and in how the site has evolved to serve the city and its residents over the decades.
In 1925, as part of the battle against tuberculosis in the population, the City of Lausanne decided to build an open air school for children on the site to ensure that they were given the best chance at recovery by receiving plenty of fresh air, physical activity and sunshine. Unfortunately, though well intentioned, the intense sunshine provided by the lakeside location proved to have a detrimental effect by causing weight loss in some of the students. After five short years the school was moved and the building transformed into the ‘Villa Eha.’ The Villa still stands today and houses a gym, conference room and living quarters for the club. Interestingly, the lakeside itself has also moved a bit further away, as a piece of land was reclaimed from the lake to make room for the construction of 1964 Swiss National Exposition pavilions.
Located at the heart of the Stade is its main clubhouse, though this is no ordinary one. Designed by architect Daniel Girardet and built in 1950, it is classified as a historic monument. Conceived as an effort to attract higher profile tournaments and matches, being built alongside a new show court with bench seating, the clubhouse’s perfectly symmetrical style and signature ‘escalier moustache’ are very typical of the time. Today, the clubhouse is home to Stade’s Italian restaurant, locker rooms and secretary, while the show court has recently been re-named in honour of Stan Wawrinka, who has been known to practice there on occasion.
Happily, the investment made in the 1950’s to attract important tournaments had the intended effect. With the new clubhouse and show court, Stade-Lausanne proceeded to host Davis Cup matches and international tournaments over the next two decades. The club welcomed elite players from all over the world, including: Laver, Newcombe, Nastase, Edberg, Gerulaitis, Noah, Becker, Leconte, Borg and more. Since 2019, Stade-Lausanne has hosted the WTA Ladies Open Lausanne. Won by Fiona Ferro in its first edition, the draw included players such as Julia Görges, Alizé Cornet and hometown hero Timea Bacsinszky. Its second year in 2020 should be another great event and a highlight among many activities planned in celebration of Stade Lausanne’s 100th anniversary.
Tennis Club Stade-Lausanne is open year-round, with eight covered courts in the winter, and all CTC players are always welcome to come for a match!
