1887 women's tennis season

The 1887 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 100 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. The season began in January in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and ended in December in Christchurch, 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.

1887 sees an increase in the number women's singles events being held as the tennis circuit continues to form. The 1887 women's tennis season began on 2 January with the Farndon Park Open, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. In May 1887 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships played at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin, Ireland. England's Lottie Dod wins the singles title defeating Maud Watson, she also picks up the mixed doubles title with Ernest Renshaw. The ladies doubles event is won by Louisa Martin and Florence Stanuell. In terms of draw size the West of England Championships was the largest tournament of the year with a draw of 56 across three events.

In June 1887 at the second major tournament of the year the Northern Championships played at the Northern Lawn Tennis Club in Manchester Lottie Dod collects her second major title beating Maud Watson in straights sets, the women's doubles event is won by the sister's Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeat a Louisa Martin and Florence Stanuell in the final in three sets, the mixed doubles event is won by Irish pair Louisa Martin and Tom Campion who defeat Lottie Dod and Harry Grove in the final.

In July at the 1887 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament, Lottie Dod completes a clean sweep all the British and Irish major tournaments, when she defeats defending champion Blanche Bingley in straight sets to claim her third major title.

In September at the U.S. National Championships a women's event is staged for the first time at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, PA and was played after the men's tournament had ended. 17-year-old Philadelphian Ellen Hansell became the first women's champion, defeating Laura Knight in straight sets. The season ended on 24 December 1887 at the New Zealand Championships, held in Christchurch, 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.

This is a calendar of all known official events that were administered by national, regional, provincial, state, and county lawn tennis associations in the year 1887, with player progression documented from the quarterfinals stage where historical sources have permitted.

Key

January
 * (denotes doubles) ** (denotes mix doubles)

April
No events

Tournament winners (singles)
This is a list of winners by the total number of singles titles won for 1887 major titles in bold:
 * 🇬🇧 Margaret Bracewell – Eastbourne, Edgbaston, Leicester, Scarborough, Whitby, (5)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Lottie Dod – Bath, Irish Championships, Northern Championships, Wimbledon Championships (4)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Beatrice Wood – Chapel Allerton, Ilkley, Headingley, Whitby II, (4)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard – Exmouth, London, Torquay, (3)
 * 🇺🇸 Adeline Robinson – Hastings-on-Hudson, Livingston, (2)
 * 🇮🇪 Connie Butler – Edinburgh, Newcastle upon Tyne, (2)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Brenda James – Leyton, Leyton II (2)
 * 🇺🇸 Ellen Hansell – U.S. National Championships, (1)
 * Isa Watson – Nuwara Eliya, (1)
 * 🇳🇿 Miss Mowbray – Auckland, (1)
 * 🇦🇺 EM Mayne – Sydney, (1)
 * Julia MacKenzie – Pollokshields, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Mabel Boulton – Whitehouse, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Louisa Martin – Cheltenham, (1)
 * 🇦🇺 Mabel Shaw – Melbourne, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Maud Watson – Penarth, (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Margie Pettet – White Sulphur Springs, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Miss Pickthall – Waterloo, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Doireann Boyle – Armagh, (1)
 * Mabel Grant – Pietermaritzburg, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 May Langrishe – Buxton, (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Grace Gilliland – Riverside, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Evelyn Blencowe – Leamington Spa, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Nora Pope – Taunton, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 D Patterson – Chiswick, (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Miss Smallwood – New York City, (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Bertha Townsend – Wilmington, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Charlotte Cooper – Ealing, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Effie Noon – Stafford, (1)
 * 🇺🇸 May Colby – New Hamburg, (1)
 * 🇳🇿 Eveleen Harman – Christchurch, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Helen Jackson – Darlington, (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Miss Schumacher – Santa Monica, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Miss Cobbold – East Grinstead, (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Nellie Hansel – Wissahickon, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Frances Snook – Nottingham, (1)
 * Miss Denny's – Singapore, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 C. Smith – St Leonards-on-Sea, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ann Dod – Moffat, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Kate Barkley – Saxmundham, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Miss Marley – Norton, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Miss Smith – Howth, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 P. Knox – Waterford, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Jennie Power – Kilkenny, (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Constance Hodgson – Hull, (1)
 * 🇳🇿 E. Bathgate – Dunedin, (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Constance Bryan – Bournemouth, (1)

Singles

 * Total Tournaments (95)
 * Most Titles: 🇬🇧 Margaret Bracewell (5)
 * Most Finals: 🇬🇧 Margaret Bracewell (7)