Background
Philippe Washer was born on 6 August 1924 in Brussels. He is the son of Jean Washer, another Belgian tennis player and textile industry mogul. Her mother, Simone van der Straeten, was the daughter of Ernest Solvay, founder of Solvay International Chemical Group.
Career
He competed in the a number of times, from 1946 to 1961. Philippe had three brothers: Paul Washer, president of the Chemical Industry Federation of Belgium and director of the Solvay company. Jacques Washer, antiquarian who died in the Swissair Flight 316 crash.
And Edouard.
They were also the cousins of famous sportscar racer Olivier Gendebien. Philippe started playing tennis at the age of six. He was coached by his father.
In 1952, he reached the semifinal of the Royal Belgian Tennis Federation Fiftieth Anniversary tournament.
In 1957, he reached the Inter-Zonal Zone Finals of the with the Belgium team Washer retired from tennis in 1961, moved to Switzerland and subsequently started playing golf.
In 1964 he represented Belgium in the Eisenhower Trophy. In 1955 he lent his own Ferrari 250 Europa GT Pinin Farina Coupe car to Olivier Gendebien who drove it in the Liège-Rome-Liège rally and finished third.
After retiring he served as the president of the Royal Léopold Club between 1983 snd 1994, which his family saved from bankruptcy in 1948.
He remained its major shareholder afterwards. Washer died on 27 November 2015 at the age of 91.