Inside the Grand Slam Racquet Collection
Our upcoming Grand Slam Timed Auction serves up an exceptional selection of tennis racquets spanning more than two centuries of the sport. From rare 18th-century racquets to iconic match-used pieces tied to legends like Fred Perry, this collection offers a unique look at how the game - and its champions - have shaped tennis history.
For collectors, players, and fans, this collection delivers some of the most significant racquets ever brought to auction.
Bidding runs from 20th June to 13th July.
Lot 825 - Late 18th-Century French Calf-Skin Racquet
This extremely rare French racquet, discovered in Lullin, southeastern France, dates to the late 18th century. Measuring 55 cm, it features calf-skin binding across the handle, early handmade nails securing the frame, and a grip wrapped in sewn leather quarters, some possibly carrying handwritten notations.
Accompanied by an A4 framed “Barcellon” scene print, this piece offers rare historical context.
Rarely do we see evidence of such early craftsmanship preserved so well - this racquet sits right at the origins of the sport that would become modern tennis.
Lot 859 - 19th-Century French & Co Sphairistike Tilt-Head Racquet
An extremely rare Sphairistike tilt-head racquet produced by French & Co. in the 1870s, featuring a tilted ash head, walnut concave wedge, original gut stringing, and treble reinforcement. At 69 cm long, it’s a striking example of early tennis innovation.
These racquets were part of Major Wingfield’s first “Sphairistike” sets - the precursor to the modern tennis we know today - and examples are so scarce that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime item.
Lot 863 - Fred Perry Slazenger Tournament Model - Match-Used Racquet
This Slazenger Tournament Model racquet, stamped F.J.P. and bearing Fred Perry’s printed autograph, is a remarkable piece from one of tennis’s most iconic British champions.
According to the vendor, it was acquired from a club museum as a match-used racquet, potentially from one of Perry’s Wimbledon finals - a claim we cannot verify but which underscores its significance.
Fred Perry remains a towering figure in British sport. Between 1933 and 1936, he triumphed with eight Grand Slam singles titles, including three consecutive Wimbledon championships - a feat unmatched by any other British male player since. His last Wimbledon win in 1936 marked the final British men’s singles victory until Andy Murray’s breakthrough in 2013. He also led Britain to four Davis Cup victories and was the first player to complete a Career Grand Slam in singles.
Slazenger’s decision to allow Perry to feature all three initials on his racquet speaks volumes about his status in the game. With visible match wear and a cracked neck, this racquet carries the story of competition, pressure, and victory from one of the sport’s golden eras.
Lot 884 - F.H. Ayres Close-Strung Wood Racquet
A rare F.H. Ayres close-strung wooden racquet, complete with its convex wedge and weight stamp of 15 oz. The flattened head and unique external stringing pattern indicate a maker experimenting with control and tension.
F.H. Ayres was one of the early pioneers in racquet design, producing high-quality, handcrafted frames tailored for precision play.
Lot 862 - J.F. White Woodbridge Tilt-Head Racquet - 1880s
Dating to the 1880s, this J.F. White tilt-head racket from Woodbridge showcases the evolution of the sport with its early double gut stringing, convex wedge, and original coarse gut strings. A textbook example of wood craftsmanship from a prominent late-Victorian tennis maker.
These early tilt-head designs reflect the transition in head shape that contributed to modern racquet shaping.
