Charles Williams (rackets)

Williams became a professional rackets player and the school coach at a young age, playing from the Harrow Club at Harrow School.^[1] In January 1911 he competed in and won the Open Championship of England defeating Edgar Maximilian Baerlein.^[2] Just over three months later he was the challenger for the World Championship against the holder Jamsetji Merwanji from India. Williams won the first leg at the Queen's Club^[3] and then in the second leg played out a draw at the Prince's Club after he had already secured the one game he needed to claim the title outright. He had become the world champion aged just 22.^[4]

He lost the Championship to Jock Soutar from the United States in 1913 before failing to regain the title in a rematch in 1922. He finally regained the Championship after beating Soutar in 1929.

Born in East Fulham in 1888, he was a ball boy at the Prince's Club before turning professional. During the journey to defend his title in 1912 he boarded the RMS Titanic as a second class passenger. After it sank he was rescued by the RMS Carpathia and developed pneumonia.^[5][6] He resided in the United States from 1924 and was married and had six children.

He died in 1935 while living in Chicago aged 47.^[6]