Claire Fahey (formerly Claire Vigrass) is a British Real Tennis player. She began playing the sport at Prested Hall Real Tennis Club when she was 12 years old. She’s currently the Head of Racquets at The Oratory School.

PLAYER STATS

Birthday: June 19, 1991

L/R Handed: Right

TOURNAMENT AND MATCH HIGHLIGHTS*

Claire Fahey showed early atheltic promise when she won the British Open Junior Under 16 girl's competition at age 11 and again at age 14. Fahey won her first Open title at the 2008 US Ladies Open in Aiken, where she defeated Sue Haswell in the final in three sets. She later went on to become the youngest female Real Tennis World Champion in 2011, when she was 19.

By the time she graduated out of the junior ranks, Fahey began competing at minor Men's Open and Amateur tournaments, including the MCC Silver Racquet, the Seacourt Silver Racquet and the Category B Championships at Cambridge. Notably, she won the 2010 British U21's Open at Middlesex University and the 2010 Prested Cup U20's against male competition. Also in 2010, she completed her first Grand Slam by winning all four Ladies Open championships becoming the second female to do so after Charlotte Cornwallis in 2006.

In 2011, she won the Ladies World Championship for the first time. This same year, Fahey turned professional after competing in the British Amateur and MCC Silver Racquet Men's events. She worked as a professional at the Prested Tennis Club before moving to the Holyport Real Tennis Club in 2014.

Fahey continued her unbeaten run through 2012, earning her second career Grand Slam, going on to her defend her second Ladies World Championship at Paris in 2013 against her sister, Sarah Vigrass.

In 2014, Fahey became the first female player to enter and play in a Men's Open Championships, competing at the 2014 British Open at Queen's Club. She quickly became the first female to win a match at a Men's Open Championship, defeating amateur Mark Mathias in the first round, before losing to Ben Taylor-Matthews in the second round. The following year, she competed for the first time in the Men's US Open Championships at Boston, again defeating her first round opponent Leon Smart before losing to Chris Chapman in the second round. Due to a walkovers in the quarter final, she became the first female player to play in a Men's Open Semi Final in the doubles competition with her partner Matthew Ronaldson.

In 2015, Fahey defended her Ladies World Championship for the third time at Leamington, again against her sister Sarah Vigrass. Later that year, she took a break from the game due to pregnancy and moved back to Prested Tennis Club with her husband, Robert Fahey.

In 2017, Fahey became the first player, male or female, to win all four singles Opens, all four Doubles Opens, the singles Ladies World Championship and doubles World Championship in the same calendar year (Camden Riviere also achieved this feat in 2017 whilst holding the singles title he won in 2016). Fahey would repeat the same feat in 2019, while Riviere lost his singles title in 2018. Fahey defended her 2017 Ladies World Championship in Tuxedo and her 2019 title in Ballarat.

Fahey did not play any competitive real tennis in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lupus diagnosis. She and her husband moved to take up positions revitalising the club at The Oratory School (Rob took up the Head Professional position while Claire began working as Head of Racquets, teaching at the school. She returned to play at the 2021 Men's British Open, but did not progress past the first round.

In 2022, she successfully defended her World Championship title at Fontainebleau against new challenger and rackets World Champion Lea van der Zwalmen. Her sixth World Championship victory equalled the record previously held by Penny Lumley. However, at the 2022 French Open, Fahey lost a competitive women's doubles match for the first time in 13 years, losing the final to Lea van der Zwalmen and Saskia Bollerman in straight sets. The following year, another World Championship was held, this time at Fahey's home court at The Oratory School, which she again defended against van der Zwalmen.

At the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne, playing with her husband, Robert Fahey, she became the first female to win through to a semi final at a Men's Open (having only previously done so due to withdrawals in earlier rounds).

*As of 2024

FUN FACTS

• Fahey is married to fellow Real Tennis player Rob Fahey. They have two children together.

• Fahey has a twin sister.

T&RA INTERVIEW ANSWERS

When and how did you get involved in Real Tennis?

[Twelve] years old at Prested Hall.

Why do you love Real Tennis?

It’s the world’s best racquet sport.

What is a fun fact about you?

I only drink fizzy water on court.

Which famous person would you love to see play Real Tennis?

King Henry VIII, just to see how quick he could move ‘round the court.

How do you think your opponents would describe you?

Classic.

What are your preferred pre-and-post match habits or routines?

Pre-match, a long warm up and stretch plus some last mental match preparation.

If you could start your own branded produce line as a Real Tennis star, what product would you choose and why?

Protein shake -- why not?!

If someone gave you £1,000,000 to imprve the game of Real Tennis, where would you invest it?

In the top Pros, because this is how our game lives on.