The club’s first official minutes date from December 22, 1907, recorded during a board meeting where the balloting was one of the most important items at the time. It took considerable effort before a prospective member was ready to be ‘asked’. It soon became apparent that the club could not survive with only HBS pupils, whereupon it was decided to admit non-pupils as well. Since the founders had also long since left the school, the original name could no longer be maintained. The abbreviation DDV was retained for the sake of tradition, but it acquired a new meaning. Mr. Admiraal, a Classical Languages ​​student at the time, coined ‘Desidi Deest Valitudo’: ‘Den rustende gebrek gezondheid’ – loosely translated as ‘Rust Rots’.  

Accommodation and growth

The birthplace of DDV lies in the Oosterpark. In the early years, due to the rising number of members, not only was the membership fee increased to ten guilders with an entry fee of two guilders fifty, but an asphalt court was also rented on the Schollenbrug for Sundays. From that moment on, one could speak of tennis for the first time, with the sport truly in the foreground. In addition to internal matches, the DDV members played matches organized by Festina and TOP in the Vondelpark. DDV itself also held open tournaments, often well attended by members of other clubs.

Expansion proceeded steadily, and in 1913 a gravel court in the Vondelpark was rented for Wednesday and Friday evenings. Despite the First World War, DDV’s membership increased, and with it, the quality of the play. Some members were already winning important matches; the time had come to start playing in the league.

But that required some effort. First, there had to be courts in good playable condition, which was assessed by the Dutch Lawn Tennis Association (NLTB). Additionally, membership of the NLTB was mandatory, and the club had to have a sufficient number of experienced players. The first two conditions presented some difficulties. For instance, the court quality left something to be desired, but through concerted effort, the court at Schollenburg was repaired. Cracks were filled, and a new net was installed. Furthermore, to become a member of the tennis association, internal regulations were required, as well as Royal approval of the statutes. To achieve this, however, the entire board first had to visit the police station on Stadhouderskade to give a testimony of decent intentions! Fortunately, approval was obtained on September 22, 1917. It was then time to establish various committees and draw up rules of play. Stationery and envelopes with the DDV logo were even produced. A ‘mature’ DDV had become a reality.

Competition and relocation

In 1917, DDV entered the competition for the first time. In its very first season, the club became champion of the entire western second division. That same year, it was promoted to the first division, where the club would maintain its position for many years. This, however, necessitated a search for expansion. Given the wartime conditions, this was no easy task, but eventually, the club gained access to two clay courts at the old stadium. This stadium had served as a reserve stadium during the Olympic Games and was demolished after the Games. It was situated on the other side of the Amstelveenseweg (now Stadionplein), opposite the current Olympic Stadium. Three years after the first championship, DDV leased two courts at the newly opened Eilers Tennis Park. The club remained there until it moved in 1928 to the brand-new tennis stadium on the Amstelveenseweg. With the commissioning of this impressive tennis stadium, a period of great prosperity began for DDV.

Flourishing and the Davis Cup

In 1921, a junior section was established, for which a professional trainer was later appointed. One of the highlights of the club’s history soon followed: the anniversary year of 1924 and the Dutch Club Championship won by DDV that year. It was the first major championship, and the club managed to repeat this achievement for no fewer than six consecutive years. This secured the club a prominent position in the Dutch tennis world. Collaboration with other clubs soon began to take place to organize major matches together. The first major match awarded to the club was the Davis Cup match between the Netherlands and Finland.
In 1930, DDV organized its first tournament in the new stadium and once again won the Club Championship. A year later, tennis virtuoso Jan van der Heide even became the first DDV member to win the Dutch Championship.

The anniversary year of 1934 is a significant year in the club’s history. The magazine ‘DDV Nieuws’ is founded as a contribution to ‘the growth and flourishing of our Association’. An international tournament is also organized, in which teams from the Queen’s Club in London, as well as the Australian and Japanese Davis Cup teams, participate. It is a resounding success, with no fewer than 7,800 spectators attending the four matches in total!
More major matches were to follow, but there was still one obstacle. An agreement is reached with the NLTB that the DDV stadium would only be eligible for official matches if the pointed roof of the clubhouse is removed. The roof cast a disturbing shadow on the middle court of Centre Court during the afternoon hours. After it is removed, DDV is awarded the Davis Cup match between the Netherlands and South Africa in 1937. Unfortunately, the Netherlands loses 0-5.

Difficult war years and the time afterwards

From 1937 to 1944, DDV became Dutch champion every year, with the exception of 1941, when the club did not participate in the competition. During the Second World War, DDV experienced a difficult period. The always active and highly regarded chairman Marinus Warendorf resigned, membership declined, and court rents could no longer be afforded, forcing them to resort to subletting. The club magazine ‘DDV Nieuws’ would not be published until 1949. Incidentally, because ‘DDV Nieuws’ was once three-quarters filled with reports on car races, former chairman Warendorf inquired from New York with interest whether DDV was still a tennis club! Car racing was very fashionable at the club after the war.

After the war, the older generation of tennis players that had made DDV famous made way for younger players. Among the ladies, these included Jopie van der Wal and Nel Hermsen, and among the men playing in the top division, L. Krijt, L. Lissauer, G. Holst, and J. Volkmaars.
In terms of membership numbers, 1954 was a peak year. The club counted 600 members at that time, 212 of whom were juniors, whereas before the war, the number of members fluctuated around 300. Despite the lack of true top players, DDV remained the strongest club in Amsterdam at that time, with particularly strong junior players.

In the mid-fifties and the sixties, there were still many highlights in the field of tennis, and DDV maintained its position in the highest league. However, after the advent of professional tennis in the seventies, it was decided at some point to stop paying competitive players on the top teams. It had become too expensive. As a result, the focus shifted more towards recreational tennis, and the teams began playing at a lower level.

The nineties to now

The 1990s were characterized by prolonged uncertainty regarding a possible relocation of the tennis park. The Olympic Stadium was to be demolished, and the adjacent tennis grounds were to be torn down and used for housing development. The final decision was that DDV would be moved to a new facility on IJsbaanpad. This is located just 500 meters away as the crow flies, on the southwest side of the renovated Olympic Stadium. Anticipating this move, a merger between Ready ’28 and DDV took place in 2001. After the move, both clubs continued playing at the old park as a single association.
In the spring of 2002, the time had finally come. DDV gained access to a beautiful park with fifteen new, illuminated clay courts. For the first two seasons, the clubhouse was a cozy wooden shack about which many members can tell wonderful stories. This clubhouse served as a temporary solution while awaiting the new Frans Otten Stadium, which was under construction and was officially opened in March 2004 by the only Dutch winner of Wimbledon to date: Richard Krajicek. A highlight was, of course, the centenary on June 26, 2004. A historic milestone that was celebrated on a grand scale throughout the entire season with all kinds of anniversary festivities.

Over the last ten years, DDV has grown into an active and accessible club for people from all parts of the city. After some lean years, the club has resumed its upward trajectory in competitive tennis. This has not been achieved through professional tennis, but through a strong bond between the club and the players, who are therefore eager to represent the club in the competition. The good atmosphere, combined with the solid organization of competitive tennis, attracts other good players. This has resulted in, among other things, the national championship of the 1st women’s team in the Eredivisie in 2011 and 2013.
As of 2015, DDV is a significant player in Dutch tennis, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The club boasts no fewer than 96 competitive teams in the spring and autumn competitions. Among the men, the top teams play in the First Class, and among the women, the Ladies 1 team plays at the very highest level, the Eredivisie.

The annual DDV Open Tournament, which is highly competitive, is a household name in Amsterdam and far beyond. With nearly 600 participants in categories 2 through 8, participation is open to everyone, and top-level tennis can be admired at our courts for nine days.
In 2014, the club’s 110th anniversary was celebrated with great pride. Throughout the entire season, this was commemorated in a fitting and festive manner with various activities for junior members, seniors, and members over 55. Currently, with approximately 1,650 members (of whom 350 are juniors), DDV is one of the largest tennis clubs in the Netherlands.