1888 women's tennis season

The 1888 Women's tennis season was a tennis circuit composed of 65 national, regional, county, and regular tournaments. It was the 13th annual season since the first women's tennis tournaments were held in 1876. The season began in February in Auckland, New Zealand, 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.

1888 sees a decrease in the number women's singles events on the previous year being held as the tennis circuit continues to form. The 1888 women's tennis season began on 27 February with the|Auckland Association Championships in Auckland, New Zealand. In May 1888 at the first major event of the year the Irish Championships played at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin, Ireland. England's Blanche Hillyard wins the singles title for the first time compatriot Bertha Steedman two sets to love. The ladies doubles event is won by English sister's Bertha Steedman and Mary Steedman, and in the mixed doubles Margaret Bracewell partnering Ernest Wool Lewis defeat the English/Irish pairing of Bertha Steedman and Hugh Cairns. In June 1888 sees a change in scheduling when the U.S. National Championships held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, PA are brought forward this month, Bertha Townsend sweeps away title holder Ellen Hansell in straight sets.

Later at the end of June the third major tournament of the year the Northern Championships is played at the Liverpool Cricket Club in Liverpool sees Lottie Dod retain her title beating Irish Champion Blanche Hillyard in straights sets, the women's doubles event is won by the sister's Ann Dod and Lottie Dod who defeat the English/Irish pairing of Margaret Bracewell and May Langrishe in the final. The All England mixed doubles event is won by Blanche Hillyard and Ernest Renshaw defeating Lottie Dod and John Charles Kay on their way to the title. In June Ireland's Connie Butler wins the Scottish Championships in Edinburgh against England's Ann Dod, and at the Welsh Championships in Penarth Blanche Hillyard takes the title against Miss N Pope.

In July at the 1888 Wimbledon Championships the world's first major tennis tournament, Lottie Dod successfully defends last years title, when she defeats Blanche Hillyard in straight sets to claim her second major title of the season. The season ended on 30 December 1888 at the New Zealand Championships, held in 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.

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 1888, with player progression documented from the quarterfinals stage where historical sources have permitted.

Key

January
No events

February
No events

Tournament winners (singles)
This is a list of winners by the total number of singles titles won for 1888 major titles in bold:
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard – Buxton, Chiswick Park, Eastbourne, Exmouth, Penarth, Irish Championships Stamford Bridge, (7)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Lottie Dod – Bath, Northern Championships, Wimbledon Championships (3)
 * 🇺🇸 Adeline Robinson – Livingston, Narragansett, West New Brighton, (3)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ann Dod – Edinburgh II, Waterloo (2)
 * 🇮🇪 Connie Butler – Edinburgh, Newcastle upon Tyne, (2)
 * 🇬🇧 May Jacks – Beckenham, Hitchin (2)
 * 🇬🇧 Margaret Bracewell – Edgbaston, Scarborough, (2)
 * 🇺🇸 Bertha Townsend – West Philadelphia, U.S. National Championships, (2)
 * 🇺🇸 Florence Bayard – Washington D.C., Wilmington, (2)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Beatrice Wood – Darlington, Ilkley, (2)
 * 🇺🇸 Ellen Roosevelt – Hastings-on-Hudson, New Hamburg (2)
 * Miss. I. J. Watson – Nuwara Eliya (1)
 * 🇦🇺 Lilian Scott – Sydney (1)
 * Miss Rose – Pollokshields (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Ellen M. Lynch – Flushing (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Miss Locke – New York City (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Louisa Martin – Cheltenham (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Florence Noon – Nottingham (1)
 * Mabel Grant – Pietermaritzburg (1)
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Alice Pickering – Leamington Spa (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Agnes Noon Watts – Stafford (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Francesca Brown – Ealing (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Lydia Cheetham – Keswick (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Ivy Arbuthnot – East Grinstead (1)
 * Jane Meikle – St Andrews (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Nellie Turner – Felixstowe (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Miss Norman – Saxmundham (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Miss Mockler – Torquay (1)
 * 🇺🇸 E. K. Lente – Southampton (1)
 * E Malcolm – Moffat (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Miss. A. Weldon – Naas (1)
 * 🇨🇦 Frances Arrowsmith – Victoria (1)
 * 🇨🇦 Miss F. Adams – Winnipeg (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Miss Gilliland – Santa Monica (1)
 * 🇺🇸 Miss Clarkson – Rumson (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Miss Triscott – Chingford, (1)
 * 🇮🇪 May Langrishe – Bournemouth (1)
 * 🇮🇪 Lena Rice – Armagh (1)
 * 🇬🇧 L. Chatterton-Clarke – Sheffield (1)
 * 🇬🇧 Miss Knock – Boulogne-sur-Mer (1)
 * 🇦🇺 Miss Earle – Brisbane (1)
 * E. van de Poll – Wijk aan Zee (1)
 * 🇦🇺 Ellen Mayne – Melbourne (1)
 * 🇳🇿 E. Gordon – Napier (1)

Singles

 * Total Tournaments (65)
 * Most Titles: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard (7)
 * Most Finals: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard (9)
 * Most Matches Played: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard (31)
 * Most Matches Won: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard (27)
 * Match Winning %: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard (87.09%)
 * Most Tournaments Played: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blanche Hillyard (11)