René Clergé

René Clergé was the greatest player of real tennis in the mid 18th century, with the height of his career being about 1753 in France. He is credited with being the first world champion of any sport, holding the real tennis title from 1740 until 1765, when Raymond Masson succeeded him. He was particularly good in a four-handed game. Also known to history as Clergé de Elder, the dates of his birth and death are unknown.