Yorkshire Tennis has lost a much-loved member of its extended family, with the recent passing of Reg Brace, who was tennis corespondent for the Yorkshire Post for 60 years. As co-author of the book ‘Play Better Tennis’ with Billy Jean King, YLTA president in 2004 and life president of the British Tennis Journalists Association, tennis was a lifelong passion for Reg through which he earned many, many friends.
Reg served as tennis correspondent for the Yorkshire Post from 1958 until 2018, when he covered Wimbledon for the last time, describing himself then as ‘still in awe’ of the tournament’s ability to surprise.
He travelled to tournaments around the world, covering our sport and contributing to many tennis publications, including Play Better Tennis, which he co-authored with Billie Jean King.
But, for all his travels, Reg’s heart belonged to Yorkshire Tennis, covering the fortunes of the Yorkshire men’s and women’s teams for more than 40 years.
He covered the first ever tournament of the Open era when Yorkshire’s John Clifton served the first ball in a match between an amateur and a professional at the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth in 1968.
He was also courtside when Roger Taylor reached three Wimbledon semi-finals and Michael Hann put out fifth seeded Chuck McKinley in the 1962 Championships.
Three-times Wimbledon semi-finalist Roger Taylor, pictured with Reg
(©AELTC/Neil Cole)
Geoff Newton, then chair of the media committee at the AELTC, making a presentation at Wimbledon to celebrate Reg covering 50 Championships
“It was his lifelong passion which earned him so many friends in the world of tennis, and particularly Yorkshire tennis.”
Reg became president of the then YLTA in 2004 and was inducted into the Yorkshire Tennis ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2023. John Crowther and John Rowbotham visited him at home to make the presentation.
A keen player himself, Reg first picked up a racket as a schoolboy and was a life member of Upper Armley Tennis Club where he played in the Yorkshire league for almost 40 years.
He only stopped playing at the age of 86 but continued to visit Chapel Allerton Tennis Club each week and watch his friends play until the first lockdown of 2020 prevented the weekly routine from continuing.
Reg was also life president of the British Tennis Journalists Association. He frequently represented and captained the journalists’ team against the All England Club each year.
Daughter Alison Targett writes that he was still talking fondly about his love of tennis until just a few days before he passed away, chatting with the Bulgarian handyman at the care home about Grigor Dimitrov. “It was his lifelong passion which earned him so many friends in the world of tennis, and particularly Yorkshire tennis.”