Suzanne Lenglen

Lore & Background

Suzanne Lenglen was born in the 16th arrondissement of Paris to Charles and Anaïs Lenglen. Her father, a pharmacist who inherited a horse-drawn omnibus company, moved the family to Marest-sur-Matz in 1904 and spent winters in Nice. Lenglen began playing tennis at age 11 after her father bought her a racket from a toy shop. Coached by her father throughout her career, she became the youngest major champion in history with her 1914 World Hard Court Championship title at age 15. Her balletic playing style and brash personality made her a national heroine in post-World War I France.

Lenglen won her Wimbledon debut in 1919 in the second-longest final in history. Her only post-war loss came in a retirement against Molla Mallory, after which she began a 179-match win streak. In 1926, she defeated Helen Wills in the high-profile Match of the Century. Following a misunderstanding at Wimbledon later that year, she abruptly retired from amateur tennis and signed to headline a professional tour in the United States. She was undefeated in doubles with her usual partner Elizabeth Ryan, highlighted by six Wimbledon titles.

Reader's Guide

Suzanne Lenglen revolutionised women's tennis by integrating the aggressive style of men's tennis into the women's game and breaking conventions of unsuitable clothing. She incorporated fashion into her matches, notably her signature bandeau headwear. Referred to by the French press as La Divine (The Goddess), she is recognised as the first female athlete to become a global sport celebrity. Her popularity led Wimbledon to move to its larger modern-day venue. Her professional tours laid the foundation for men's professional tours that continued until the Open Era and led to the first major men's professional tournament the following year. Lenglen was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978, and the second show court at the site of the French Open is named in her honour. In 2012, the Tennis Channel ranked her as the greatest women's tennis player from the amateur era in its 100 Greatest of All Time series.

Did You Know?

• Lenglen was the first leading amateur to turn professional.
• She began a 179-match win streak after her only post-war loss.
• Her father credited her confidence in large stadiums to her experience as a diabolo performer.
• She won six Wimbledon singles titles, including five in a row from 1919 to 1923.