On September 12, 1921, the Board of Directors of the Royal Lawn Tennis Association of Spain (RALTE), met in San Sebastián. He made two important decisions. The first was to approve the expenses of traveling to Hendon, London, for the members of the Spanish team that was debuting in the Davis Cup. The second was to inform the International Tennis Federation (ITF) that the Pamplona Lawn Tennis Club, chaired by Jesús Jaurrieta, and with the support of a group of businessmen who came from Equatorial Guinea, was interested in organizing the World Championships in 1923. of Lawn Tennis on Indoor Courts.
In September 1922, the ITF approved the RALTE proposal, but Pamplona had not been able to build the large covered facility that the event required. Before giving up on the tournament, José Vidal-Ribas Güell, president of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona and the Lawn Tennis Association of Catalonia, asked RALTE for a period of one week to try to take on the challenge.
After having the complicity of the Board of Directors of the RCTB, on November 10, 1922, at the Royal Horse Racing Society of Paseo de Gracia, José Vidal-Ribas, managed to bring together the leading tennis and sports entities in the city ??to seek support to organize the competition. The response and support was unanimous, both on the part of the tennis clubs, the Confederació Esportiva de Catalunya, the Foreigners Attraction Association, the Trade Fair, the Barcelona Football Club and the Real Club Deportivo Español.
Five days later, the Executive Committee of the tournament was established with José Vidal-Ribas Güell as president, Francisco Rodón (General Commissioner), Mariano Vendrell (Deputy General Commissioner), Joan Millet (Vocal of the Propaganda Committee), Josep Mir (Vocal of Administrative Committee), José María Alonso (Vocal of the Technical Committee) and José Mesalles Estivill, (General Secretary), and vital man in the structure of the Spanish Olympic Committee.
It was also agreed that the Executive Committee would have its headquarters in the Ritz Hotel, and Fred Burrow, Wimbledon referee, was appointed as Referee of the competition, with José María Tarruella and José María Soler Coll as his assistants.
The enthusiasm of José Vidal-Ribas was quickly contagious in the city. In just two weeks, the Real Automobile Club of Catalonia, the Real Asociación de Cazadores, the Real Moto Club de Catalunya, the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, ??the Real Club Marítimo, the Club de Mar of the CADCI, the Real Sociedad de Deporte Vasco, Club Natación Barcelona, ??Penya Rhin, Club Esportiu Europa, Unió Sportiva Sans and Avenç de l’Esport.
José Vidal-Ribas also created a Sponsorship Committee in which he incorporated the most influential people in the city, such as the Baron of Güell, the Duke of Alba, the Baroness of Destral, the Count of the House of Valencia, the Marquises of Foronda, of San Román de Ayala, of Lamadrid, of Cabanes and the count of Salces de Ebro.
Two weeks later, Fernando Fabra i Puig, Marquis of Alella and Mayor of Barcelona, ??approved the free transfer of the Palacio de la Industria in the Ciudadela Park and a subsidy of 25,000 pesetas for the tournament, at the same time that King Alfonso XIII accepted the Honorary Presidency.
In the first week of December, French cabinetmakers traveled to Barcelona to build two wooden courts and 50 boxes in the Palacio de la Industria. The prestigious playwright Adrià Gual was in charge of decorating the living room and the restaurant garden, while Isabel Llorach was in charge of the artistic manifestations and social parties in collaboration with a Women’s Committee.
The Real Club de Tenis Barcelona took care of the sporting tasks, which ranged from the selection of ball boys to that of lines judges. José Vidal-Ribas himself was one of the line judges of the competition.
On January 20, 1923, it was announced that King Alfonso XIII would donate the trophy for the champion of the men’s event, while Queen Victoria Eugenia would award the prize for the women’s competition. Barcelona City Council, the Commonwealth of Catalonia and the Catalan Lawn Tennis Association donated the trophies for the doubles events.
On January 24, it was announced that the Spanish team would consist of Manuel Alonso, Manolo Gomar, Eduardo Flaquer, José María Alonso, Francisco Sindreu, María Luisa Marnet, Rosa Torras and Isabel Fonrodona. Delegations of British, Danish, French, Romanian, Dutch, German, American, Polish and Swiss tennis players entered the tournament.
With the city overturned, the capacity exhausted, and a Palace of Industry decorated with garlands, branches, a huge tapestry with the coat of arms of Barcelona at the end of the court, at 10 in the morning on February 1, Manuel Alonso and Carlos de Satrustegui entered the court to inaugurate the competition.
On February 11, the British Kathleen McKane Godfree, who years later would defeat Lilí Álvarez in two Wimbledon finals, became the champion of the women’s event, defeating her compatriot Geraldine Beamish 6-3, 4-6 in the final. and 7-5. Two hours later, the Frenchman Henri Cochet, one of the four ‘Musketeers’ of the French team, beat the British John Brian Gilbert in the men’s final by 6-4, 7-5 and 6-4.
The Infante Don Fernando of Bavaria and Bourbon presided over the trophy ceremony, and the competition closed with an Honor Dinner followed by a Gala Dance to the applause of those in attendance. The challenge of organizing World Championships concluded with resounding success.
