Six world champions tell their stories

Rob and Claire Fahey - Real Tennis

Rob and Claire Fahey have 18 singles world championships between them in real tennis – a fast and unusual game which featured at the 1908 London Olympics.

The married couple are coming to the end of a period of time running the Prested club in Essex, the world’s only court with a glass back wall.

The venue was due to hold the men’s world championship in April, but this has been tentatively rescheduled to October.

The move has put 18 months on planning from hardworking volunteers on hold.

Rob could see the positive in retaining his title for a little while longer.

“I managed to get to the end of that without dropping a set,” he said.

Claire said: “It’s a shame, we were going to do the world championships and then finish a month later. It would have been our way of having a massive celebration at the club and saying thank you, but things haven’t quite worked out as we planned.”

The world championships usually take alternate years – women one year, men the next – but with no idea when real tennis courts could reopen, it’s possible 2021 will be the year for both of them.

They’re both moving on to new roles at Oratory School, a challenge the pair are embracing as part of life changes as their two children approach school age.

“I didn’t think I would ever change from being a real tennis professional, it’s what I dreamed of doing,” Claire said. “But it was a good opportunity, and with the children growing up, we had school holidays to think about. I can still compete and I’ve still got a tennis court on my doorstep.”

They’re both experienced enough to notice the positives that come with the enforced break from the sport.

Rob said: “Real tennis is an unforgiving sport on the body, with concrete floors, so it’s nice to let the skeleton recover a bit.”

Rob says he hasn’t been dominant for a while now, although he did win back his world title from Camden Riviere in 2018, two years after losing it.

“I enjoy the underdog status,” he said. “But there’s nothing wrong with dominating. It doesn’t make victories any less sweeter.”

Claire, who has played real tennis since the age of 11, said: “I enjoy being favourite. I enjoy putting on a performance, and showing what a lot of hard work and effort is involved in getting to the level I’m at.”

They’re also involved in finding the next level of real tennis hopefuls, working to maintain the survival of a sport which goes back to the 16th century.

“If you want your game to survive, you have to encourage it at every level,” Rob said.

Whilst it can be a frustrating sport for newcomers, it lures back plenty who are interested in the appeal of handmade balls and unique playing locations.

Claire said: “That’s the addictive part of it, you have to adapt your game to different courts, different bounces and you want to be able to repeat that same action.

“And then the nature of the rules. it’s quite hard to understand the rules unless you’re on a tennis court – even I’ve read them and it sounds confusing. Understanding the complexity of the rules and tactics is really satisfying.”

Rob may have been hit enough times to know that he doesn’t want to be hit by a real tennis ball again, he will be back in the sport – a game which he dominated for more than two decades – next season, whenever that will be.

He said: “It is an addictive game, no doubt about it.”