1890 … our background
For more than 125 years Stockholms Lawntennis Klubb av 1890 has practiced its tennis and also during all this time worked for the conservation of tennis traditions. The Club now feels it is time to make the leap into cyberspace with its own website. Doing this is entirely consistent with the preservation of traditions. What could be better propaganda for tennis than to expose our values and our Club spirit to a wider audience?
Stockholm Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1890 as the first tennis club in Sweden. Its founders were Agnar Engström—an engineering student at the Royal Institute of Technology—and two of his colleagues, the brothers Holger and Torben Grut. They aimed to create a club with a spirited, collegiate atmosphere that upheld the tennis traditions of the era—specifically, wearing white on the court.Women were included in the club from the very beginning.
One of the first photographs of “1890”. The typed caption lists the members by name.
In 1896, the club was reorganized to consist of only a limited number of men—approximately twenty—and has maintained that same membership size ever since. Initially, the club played tennis in the gymnasium at Norra Real school before moving to the Östermalm Sports Grounds, specifically the "AB Hall."
From 1900 onwards, the club played in the AB Hall—designed by the aforementioned Torben Grut and located north of the current Stadium—as well as in the Östermalm Tennis Pavilion (now known as the C Hall).
Torben Grut
The A.-B. Tennis Pavilion. Postcard.
The AB Hall burned down in 1920, forcing Stockholm’s clubs to share court time in the Tennis Pavilion. By 1923, Torben had already designed a new hall: the current B Hall. Torben had also served as the architect for the Stockholm Stadium, which was completed in time for the 1912 Olympics.
The fire of 1920.
When the Alvik Hall was built in 1937, the club gained a new, permanent home—a venue where it has been based ever since.Throughout the years, preserving the sport's original tennis traditions has been a priority for the club. Tennis was a gentleman's sport characterized by clear etiquette and a strict all-white dress code. The club is dedicated to upholding these traditions, adopting the motto "...tradition in step with the times..." to reflect this commitment.
The club organized the first tennis tournament in Sweden in 1892. Club member Torben Grut emerged as the champion. The tournament took place at the Katarina General Secondary School. Five years later, in 1897, the Crown Prince’s Lawn Tennis Club organized a competition involving other clubs, held in "Idrottsparken’s magnificent lawn tennis hall" (now the C-hall at TSK). The competition was primarily a contest between the host club and "1890." The rules issued by the Lawn Tennis Association in England were applied. The tournament lasted for five days. Matches included both four-handed play (i.e., doubles) and two-handed play (singles) for both men and women. A summary of the results indicates that "Kronprinsen" triumphed in the four-handed events, while "1890" won the two-handed events.
This spirited, student-like atmosphere is clearly evident in the minutes from the very beginning and throughout the Club’s entire history. Fostering a sense of community through humor is a key ambition—a guiding spirit that has defined the Club over the years. The Club is led by the "Continually Skilled Leadership" and features a somewhat unconventional organizational structure, including a "Mom" who ensures that rules and traditions are upheld. The former "Mom" is now "Grandma." Other roles include "Mom’s Little Helper," Secretary, Financial Assistant, and Webmaster. The club also benefits from the contributions of a Bard, an Event Manager, a Paparazzo, an Archivist, a Tournament Director, and a Master of Ceremonies. Prospective members can be admitted only at the regular annual meeting, an event that also features competition for the "Wimblendon" trophies.
A traditional spring season-closer, played outdoors, marks the end of the indoor season.
Our history also includes numerous trips abroad to play against other historic clubs around the world. Over the years, we have visited destinations such as New York—playing at Piping Rock, Forest Hills, Flushing Meadows, and Westchester Country Club. We have played against Queen’s Club in London, Eastbourne on the English south coast, Circolo del Tennis di Firenze (Italy), Paphos (Cyprus), Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech (Morocco), Bad Homburg (Germany) and the Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club (founded in 1855, Portugal). We have also played in Ekenäs, Tallinn, and Fiskartorpet (Helsinki), alongside many excursions within Sweden over the years.
The standard of play among members is very high, and some have ranked among the Swedish elite.
Marcus Wallenberg played Davis Cup tennis for Sweden and won several Swedish Championship titles in the 1920s. Wallenberg undertook a lifelong commitment to provide all beverages for the regular annual meetings.
Marcus Wallenberg
Tenny Svensson has also represented Sweden in the Davis Cup in the 1970s and holds a number of Swedish Championship titles.
Tenny Svensson