In the Russian Empire, there was a strong tennis school, and our athletes were rightly considered among the best in the world. Mikhail Nikolaevich Sumarokov-Elston became a true "tennis ace." His interest in tennis was instilled by his uncle, and the boy turned out to be a talented student, demonstrating outstanding technique. He taught himself to spin the ball. It is no surprise that his first debut at the 4th All-Russian competitions ended in triumph. Sumarokov-Elston reached the finals and defeated the champion of Petersburg. Subsequently, he won title after title and by the age of 18 became a prizewinner in all major competitions in Russia.

In 1912, our compatriot faced foreign players for the first time. True professionals arrived for the All-Russian competitions: Norman Kidson, the champion of Great Britain, and Ludwig von Salm, the best player from Austria-Hungary. It seemed that Sumarokov-Elston would not be able to withstand them, but he surprised everyone by easily defeating the leading European tennis players. However, his main match took place at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912, where he faced Oscar Kreutzer, a titled German tennis player. The game was tense, with both players taking turns to pull ahead. Unfortunately, in the decisive set, an unfortunate incident occurred: Mikhail Nikolaevich's racket broke, and he was given another, heavier one, which led to his defeat. Kreutzer was so impressed by the resistance that he later stated: "Sumarokov, one of the world's top-class masters. I am sure that in the near future he will become a serious contender for the title of world champion."

The Russian tennis player faced not only professional athletes. Several times he played with Nicholas II. The last game ended unsuccessfully for the tsar: Sumarokov accidentally hit him with the ball on the leg, and the sovereign limped off the court. After the revolution, Mikhail Nikolaevich moved to England, where he worked as a tennis coach until the end of his life. He passed away at home in 1970, ironically, while watching Wimbledon.