Biography of Famous Tennis Player and Athlete Suzanne Lenglen

About the biography of the famous tennis player and athlete Suzanne Lenglen, history and information.

Suzanne Lenglen

It is said that her father placed a handkerchief on the court and gave her 5 francs every time she hit it. There is no doubt that Papa Charles was the guiding hand behind the remarkable career of France's queen of tennis, Suzanne Lenglen. His training and regimen worked well. His daughter became one of the greatest women players of all time.

Suzanne was playing tournament tennis at 12 and won the world hard court championship at 15. She was 20 in 1919 when she met and defeated 7-time winner Mrs. Lambert Chambers in the Wimbledon singles. From then until 1926, she was beaten only once, and then by default.

Suzanne was a ballerina with a tennis racket. Volatile and dramatic, she combined the movements of a dancer with the strokes and tactics of tennis and she never made a mistake. She revolutionized tennis dress for women and was worshiped almost as a cult figure. Opposing players considered it a crowning achievement if they scored a point against her; to win a game was akin to a miracle.

In the women's singles at Wimbledon in 1925, going after her 6th title, she lost only 5 games in the 5 matches she played.

Her only low point came in 1921. Playing the American champion Molla Mallory in the 2nd round of the U.S. championships, something went wrong. Ms. Mallory took the 1st set 6-2 and was leading in the 2nd when Ms. Lenglen left the court, coughing and crying. She defaulted because of illness, her only loss during amateur play.

In the Match of the Century, Suzanne met and defeated the American champion Helen Wills in 1926. The same year, she turned professional and went on a tour of the U.S., Cuba, and Mexico.

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