_real.jpg) Washer in 1950 | |
| Country (sports) |  Belgium |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 August 1924 Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | 27 November 2015 (aged 91) Knokke, West Flanders, Belgium |
| Turned pro | 1940 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1961 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 324-178 |
| Career titles | 16 |
| Highest ranking | 8 (1957)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | QF (1957) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1948, 1949, 1954) |
| US Open | 4R (1952) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | SF (1953) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | SF (1954) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1947, 1948, 1952) |
Philippe Washer (French pronunciation: [filip waʃe]; 6 August 1924 – 27 November 2015) was a Belgian tennis player. He competed in the Davis Cup a number of times, from 1946 to 1961.[2] He was ranked world No. 8 in 1957.
Philippe Washer was born on 6 August 1924 in Brussels. He was the son of Jean Washer, another Belgian tennis player and textile industry mogul.[3] His mother, Simone van der Straeten, was the granddaughter of Ernest Solvay, founder of Solvay International Chemical Group.[3] Philippe had three brothers: Paul Washer, president of the Chemical Industry Federation of Belgium and director of the Solvay company; Jacques Washer, antiquarian who died in the Swissair Flight 316 crash; and Edouard.[3] They were also the cousins of famous sportscar racer Olivier Gendebien.[4] Philippe started playing tennis at the age of six.[5] He was coached by his father.[5] He won his first tournament on 9 May 1940 in La Rasante just one day before the Battle of Belgium during which he volunteered to join the Belgian Army.[5] In 1942, he won the French junior championships.[6]
Washer won the Belgian National Championships nine times between 1945–1954, the only exception being 1950 when he was forced to retire from the competition due to illness.[5] In 1952, he reached the semifinal of the Royal Belgian Tennis Federation Fiftieth Anniversary tournament.[6]
In 1953, Washer won the Coupe Albert Canet, defeating Władysław Skonecki in the close four set final.
In 1957, he reached the Inter-Zonal Zone Finals of the Davis Cup with the Belgium Davis Cup team.[5] The same year, he won the Lebanon international tennis championships by defeating Roger Becker, Ham Richardson, and Warren Woodcock.[7]
In 1967, he came back from retirement to win the Belgian National Covered Courts Championship doubles, partnering with Jacky Brichant.[5] Also after retirement, he won the Wimbledon Veterans' Doubles with Jaroslav Drobný four times from 1968 to 1971.[8]
Washer did not play in the 1960 Davis Cup match against Great Britain as he was competing in the Belgium Open golf championship.[9] Later in 1960 he played for the Rest of Europe against the British Isles in the St Andrews Trophy and for Belgium in the 1960 Eisenhower Trophy.[10][11] He represented Belgium again in the 1964 Eisenhower Trophy.[12]
Washer retired from tennis in 1961 and moved to Switzerland.[13] In 1955, he lent his own Ferrari 250 Europa GT Pinin Farina Coupe car to Olivier Gendebien who drove it in the Liège–Rome–Liège rally and finished third.[4] After retiring, he served as the president of the Royal Léopold Club from 1983 to 1994, which his family saved from bankruptcy in 1948.[6][14] He remained its major shareholder afterwards.[14] Washer died on 27 November 2015 at the age of 91.[15]
