Thomas Lyte are the designers and makers of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships Doubles Trophy.
“When looking to create a new trophy for such a world-renowned event like a professional tennis tournament look no further than Thomas Lyte in London. Why this company? Well they’re just as prestigious as the tournaments they’re hired by.” (USMCC, 2016)
The new trophies for the Championship were unveiled in 2016. This exciting project started with a referral from the Florida-based Vice President of Tournament Relations for the ATP Tour, Linda Clark.
The U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship is an annual ATP Tour tennis tournament that started in 1910. Held every year at The River Oaks Country Club, it is the last remaining ATP Tour-level tournament in the United States to be played on clay courts. With a rich history since its inception and with victors such as Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, it was of no surprise that the trophy had faced some wear and tear over the years, leading to a new commission.
This led to a design brief from the client, and seven submissions of initial ideas from the staff at Thomas Lyte. After a meeting in London in November 2015, the designs were narrowed down to two before production began.
The Doubles Trophy design concept is based on Grecian history and style, with curved handles, decorated with hand-chased fluting. The two-tier black mahogany plinth has sterling silver plinth bands, engraved with the names of previous winners to reflect the rich history of the tournament.
The new trophies were unveiled at the annual Player Party, the official kick-off to the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.
