Slazenger EGM Special 1900
A Tribute to E.G. Meers
Manuf.:
Model:
Spec.:
Year *:
Slazenger
EGM Special
Solid wood
1900
*documented or estimated
Background facts:
Ernest George Meers (1849–1928) was one of the standout British tennis players of the late Victorian era. Active during the 1880s and 1890s, Meers was a regular competitor at the Wimbledon Championships. He reached the doubles final in 1888 and advanced to the singles semi-finals in 1895.
Beyond his athletic pursuits, Meers was a man of varied talents: an accomplished organist educated at Queen’s College, Oxford, and a successful businessman serving as chairman of Watts Ltd, a major rubber goods manufacturer. Slazenger honoured Meers’s contribution to the sport with a special racquet model “A Tribute to E.G. Meers”, produced from the early 1890s until around 1928.
The racquet features reinforced shoulders, a patented innovation by Slazenger, and an elongated frame approximately half an inch longer than standard models of the time. The initials “EGM” were often subtly integrated into the branding.
