Charles Percy DIXON

In an all-British final, Charles Dixon and Edith Hannam beat Roper Barrett and Helen Aitchison to take the mixed doubles covered court title at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. Mrs. Hannam had earlier won the women’s singles and Dixon had already made his mark on the tournament with an outstanding win over the reigning Wimbledon champion, Tony Wilding of New Zealand, in the semi-finals of the men’s singles. In the singles final, Dixon went down in straight sets to André Gobert of France but completed his set of Olympic medals by wining a bronze in the men’s doubles. Charles Dixon reached the All-Comers final of the singles at Wimbledon in 1901 and 1911 but he did not win a Wimbledon title until two months after the 1912 Olympics when the 39-year-old veteran won the Wimbledon doubles with Roper Barrett. He then took the 1912 Australian doubles title with James Parke and concluded a memorable year by captaining the team which recaptured the Davis Cup from Australasia. In 1913 Dixon and Roper Barrett successfully defended their Wimbledon title. Charles Dixon was educated at Haileybury and Clare College, Cambridge before becoming a solicitor. He played in four Davis Cup ties and while at Cambridge won a blue for Rackets, but surprisingly, not for lawn tennis. He was also a scratch golfer and his sporting talents were shared by his brother, John, who captained Nottinghamshire at cricket for many years and won an England cap at soccer.