1886 women's tennis season

The 1886 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 57 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in February in London, England, and ended in December in Napier, New Zealand.

Summary of season
From 1888 until 1912 Britain's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), grew in status and influence to become the de facto international tennis governing body before the proper International Lawn Tennis Federation commenced operations. Despite the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) forming in 1881 a good seven years before the LTA, it was the British body that set laws, settled disputes and organized the increasingly complicated tournament calendar before the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) formed in March, 1913.

After the formation of the ILTF the world tennis circuit going forward was a highly organised and structured network of national and international tournaments. Most tennis tournaments were usually mixed events for men and women, and the women's international tennis circuit certainly up to 1923 was composed mainly of tournaments on the British and European Circuits. After the USNLTA joined the ILTF this would later change with more and more tournaments being staged globally. Women tennis players on the world circuit up to the open era were funded by their national associations enabling them to travel and take part in international tournaments.

1886 sees a decrease in the number women's singles events being held as the tennis circuit continues to form. The 1886 women's tennis season began on 3 February with the Hyde Park Court Covered Courts Tournament, London,  Hyde Park Court. In May 1886 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships played at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin, Ireland. Ireland's May Langrishe wins the singles title for her third and final title defeating the up-and-coming Louisa Martin, she also picks up the mixed doubles title with Eyre Chatterton. The ladies doubles event is won by Connie Butler and Louisa Martin. In terms of draw size the West of England Championships was the largest tournament of the year with a draw of 46 across three events.

In June 1886 at the second major tournament of the year, the Northern Championships played at the Liverpool Cricket Club in Liverpool, featured a full schedule of events the singles title going to Maud Watson defeating Lottie Dod in straights sets, the women's doubles event was won by the sister pairing of Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeat a Miss Cliff and May Langrishe in the final, the mixed doubles event is won by Margaret Bracewell and William Renshaw who defeat Lottie Dod and Harry Grove in the final.

In July at the 1886 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament, Blanche Bingley defeats two-time defending champion Maud Watson in straight sets to claim her first major title.

In August at the U.S. National Championships played on the outdoor Grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island there was still no women's championship events staged. The season ended on 30 December 1886 at the first New Zealand Championships, Napier, New Zealand played on grass.

Season results
Prior to the creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the establishment of its world championship events in 1913 the Wimbledon Championships, the U.S. National Championships, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and the Northern Championships were considered by players and historians as the four most important tennis tournaments to win.

Key

January
No events

February
 * (denotes doubles) ** (denotes mix doubles)

March
No events

April
No events

November
No events

Tournament winners (singles)
This is a list of winners by the total number of singles titles won for 1886 major titles in bold:
 * 🇮🇪 May Langrishe – Ballybrack, Howth, Irish Championships, Waterford (4)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Bingley – Edgbaston, Stamford Bridge, Wimbledon Championships, (3)
 * Jane Meikle – Edinburgh II, Edinburgh III, Pollokshields, (3)
 * 🇬🇧 Margaret Bracewell – Eastbourne, Edgbaston II, Scarborough, (3)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Beatrice Wood – Ilkley, Pontefract, (2)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Maud Watson  – Exmouth, Northern Championships, (2)
 * 🇮🇪 Louisa Martin – Buxton, Cheltenham, (2)
 * 🇦🇺 C. Greene – Melbourne, Sydney, (2)
 * 🇺🇸 Miss Leslie – New Haven, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Lottie Dod – Bath (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Charlotte Cooper – Ealing, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 L. Browne – Penarth, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Lillian Watson – Teignmouth, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Mabel Cahill – Kilkenny, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Mabel Boulton – Edinburgh, (1)
 * 🇳🇿 Sarah Lance – Napier, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 J. Wray – Redhill, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Beatrice Langrishe – Clifton, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Agnes Noon – Stafford, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Louisa Moir – Chapel Allerton, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Katharine Hill – Aigburth, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Miss Douglas – Chiswick Park, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Nora Pope – Taunton, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Agnes Watts – Leicester, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Gertrude Mellersh – Leamington Spa, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 H. Esmonde – Wexford, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Florence Noon – Leicester, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Florence Stanuell – Darlington, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Miss Cobbold – East Grinstead, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 A. Ridley – Felixstowe, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 G. Rant – Saxmundham, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Katherine Hill – Tenby, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ann Dod – Mofatt, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Mrs Hornby – Bournemouth, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 G. Walters – Whitby, (1)

Singles

 * Total Tournaments (55)
 * Most Titles: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Bingley & 🇮🇪 May Langrishe & 🇬🇧 Margaret Bracewell & Jane Meikle  (3)
 * Most Finals: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Maud Watson (6)