Hungarian Tennis Championships

It is the fourth oldest tennis tournament of the world, which is held annually since its establishment. The first championships entitled as the Hungary's Lawn Tennis Championships were arranged on June 16, 1894, in Balatonfüred by the Stefánia Yacht Club. It was a coeducated tournament thus the first "men"'s singles trophy was awarded to Austrian countess Paulina von Pálffy. The next year the women's roster was distinguished and the men's, women's doubles and in 1909 the mixed doubles were added.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtsztenisz.hu/?article_hid=5557&_voteadmin_site=1279|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903212030/http://www.mtsztenisz.hu/?article_hid=5557&_voteadmin_site=1279|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-03|title=Újjáéled a hagyomány|date=2009-06-09|publisher=Magyar Tenisz Szövetség|location=Budapest, Hungary|work=mtsztenisz.hu|language=hu|access-date=January 28, 2012}} In 1899 the tournament moved to Budapest and was organized by the Budapest Lawn Tennis Club. In 1903 the first unofficial international competition was held and subsequently became a standalone championship.{{cite journal|author=János Kertész|editor=Béla Kehrling|editor-link=Béla Von Kehrling|url=http://epa.oszk.hu/02100/02127/00056/pdf/EPA02127_tennis_es_golf_1932_4_002.pdf|volume=2|series=IV|pages=3–5|title=Kertész János M. L. T. Sz. főtitkára levele főszerkesztőnköz|trans-title=President of the Tennis Association, János Kertész's letter to the editor|journal=Tennisz és Golf|date=29 February 1932|publisher=Egyesült Kő-, Könyvnyomda, Könyv- és Lapkiadó Rt|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=January 28, 2012}} In 1907 the Hungarian Lawn Tennis Association was formed as a subsidiary of the Hungarian Athletics Club thus the latter's name was included as the Annual HAC Tennis Championships (later the governing body was shortened to Hungarian Tennis Association). The hard court came into use when the National Indoors Championships were distinguished in 1927 (fedett pályás ob).{{cite book

|author = Ágnes Kenyeres

|title = Magyar életrajzi lexikon 1000—1990

|trans-title=Hungarian Lexicon of Biographies

|url =http://mek.niif.hu/00300/00355/html/ABC07165/07607.htm

|access-date =28 June 2012

|publisher = Akadémiai Kiadó

|location = Budapest, Hungary

|year = 1994

|language = hu

|isbn = 963-9374-13-X

|chapter = Kelemen Aurél

}} The same year red clay was introduced as a new surface beside the already existing grass courts. Traditionally the winner of the outdoors championships is considered the Hungarian (National) champion. In the beginning the tournament accepted foreign entries but after 1924 the Hungarian International Championships served as a diverse event while only Hungarian players could possibly go for the national title.{{cite journal|editor=Béla Kehrling|editor-link=Béla Von Kehrling|url=http://epa.oszk.hu/02100/02127/00032/pdf/EPA02127_tennis_es_golf_1930_2_017.pdf|volume=17|series=II|page=12|journal=Tennisz és Golf|year=1930|title=Magyarország 1930. évi férfi egyes bajnokság|trans-title=1930 Hungarian National Tennis Championships – Men's singles|publisher=Bethlen Gábor Irod. és Nyomdai RT|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=January 24, 2012}} After World War II the international branch went defunct and only the nationals were held. Thus this tournament did and does not qualify as an open on ATP standards and no points are awarded for the results. The location of the event is determined each year, which allows several clubs and cities to host it outside the capital Budapest including Pécs, Szeged and Hódmezővásárhely. The date also varies to fit the schedule of other events but to be suitable for open air playing thus it takes place between May and end of September.

File:Margitsziget lawn court in Budapest, Hungary in 1908.jpg

(Incomplete roll)

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File:Roderich Menzel 01.JPG|two times champion Roderich Menzel

File:Budapest, Margitsziget, Tóth Ede 1908.jpg|two times champion Ede Tóth

File:Bela Kehrling 1914.jpg|16 times champion Béla von Kehrling

File:Polish-Chinese Davis Cup match 1939.jpg|(from left) International finalists Ignacy Tłoczyński and Kho Sin-Kie

File:Attila Balázs at 2012 BRD Năstase Țiriac Trophy.jpg|Seven-times champion Attila Balázs

Hungarian Champions

{{cite web

|url = http://www.mtsztenisz.hu/?article_hid=4578

|title = Bajnokaink

|first = Sándor

|last = Árvay

|date = 2009-01-05

|publisher = Magyar Tenisz Szövetség [Hungarian Tennis Association]

|location = Budapest, Hungary

|language = hu

|trans-title = Our champions

|access-date = October 30, 2017

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121016050756/http://www.mtsztenisz.hu/?article_hid=4578

|archive-date = October 16, 2012

|url-status = dead

|df = mdy-all

}}

• Eternal Champions (honorary title): Béla von Kehrling, József Asbóth, István Gulyás
• Longest winning streaks: Béla von Kehrling (1912–1914 and 1920–1932, 16yrs{{note label|WWI|c|c}}), István Gulyás (1957–1968, 12yrs)
• Triple consecutive title holders:Tibor Daniel (1896–1898), Béla von Kehrling (1912–1914), József Asbóth (1939–40,1942), István Gulyás (1957–1959), Balázs Taróczy (1973–1975), Attila Balázs (2008–2013)

• Budapest International Championships (1903–1975) open international tournament.
• Hungarian International Championships (1903–1975) open international tournament.
• Hungary Davis Cup team

{{Refbegin}}

• {{note label|coed|a|a}} The tournament was won by Countess Paulina von Pálffy since the first tournament was coeducated.
• {{note label|Horthy|b|b}} subsequent governor of Hungary Miklós Horthy also participated in the event
• {{note label|WWI|c|c}} The tournament was not held from 1915 to 1918 because of World War I.
• {{note label|WWII|d|d}} The tournament was not held in 1941 because of lack of tennis balls.
• {{note label|name|e|e}} Note that Emil Gabrovitz and Emil Gábori is the same person. He won 3 singles titles altogether under the two different names.{{cite web|url=http://www.huszadikszazad.hu/img/1013/gallery/33195_gabrovitz_(gabori)_emil.jpg|title=Gabrovitz (Gábori) Emil|format=jpg|publisher=Huszadik század|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=December 13, 2010}}

{{Refend}}

• {{note label|name|f|f}}Merged with the international championship. The winner is considered the national champion.

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://www.mtsztenisz.hu Hungarian Tennis Association]

{{Tennis in Hungary}}

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1894

Tennis

Category:Tennis tournaments in Hungary

Category:Exhibition tennis tournaments

Category:Clay court tennis tournaments