Suzanne Lenglen was a professional tennis player from France. She won two Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. She also has a total of 21 Grand Slam titles and she played only in the French Open and Wimbledon. She was also the World Hard Court Champion a total of four times.

Player Profile

Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was born on May 24, 1899, in Paris, France. She died on July 4, 1938 in Paris. She stood 164 cm tall and she was right-handed with a one-handed backhand.

Height / weight 1.64 m / 59 kg
Born 24 May 1899
Died 4 Jul 1938 (39 years)
Nationality France France
Playing Style Right Handed
Nickname La Divine

Lenglen was known as the flamboyant and trendsetting athlete in women’s tennis and was nicknamed La Divine by the French Press. She also became the first female tennis celebrity and one of the first female sports stars who made the international scene.

She was coached by her father Charles Lenglen. She started playing tennis when she was just 11.

Her first try at the game was in the year 1910 when she played on the tennis court at the family property. Lenglen enjoyed the game and her father decided to train her further in the sport.

Career

Four years after her first introduction to the sport, Lenglen played in the final of the 1914 French Championships at the age of 14 but Lenglen lost to the reigning champion, Marguerite Broquedis. She won the World Hard Court Championships in the same year when she turned 15. However, with the outbreak of World War I, Lenglen’s career was put on hold.

It was not until the year 1920 that tennis was held again. Lenglen entered Wimbledon, her first on grass against seven-time winner, Dorothea Chambers.

The match became one of the hallmarks in tennis history when Lenglen defeated Chambers to win the Wimbledon title with a score of 10-8, 4-6, 9-7. Lenglen rose to dominate the women’s singles scene during the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Antwerp.

From the year 1919 through 1925, Lenglen won the Wimbledon Singles title consecutively each year except for 1924. From the year 1920 to 1926, Lenglen won the French Championships six times.

Lenglen’s American debut was met with failure. Lenglen had to play against US champion, Molla Mallory. However, Lenglen was ill the whole time. After losing the first set and while the second was underway, Lenglen started a coughing fit which sent the American crowd jeering and the American press criticizing.

The exhibition match was canceled and Lenglen went home. However, Lenglen played with Mallory again in a tournament in Nice where Mallory failed to win even one game. She even beat Mallory at the Wimbledon in just 26 minutes.

Lenglen garnered much attention in the sport not just because of her performance but because of her appearance. Lenglen appeared at the Wimbledon wearing a tennis dress that revealed bare forearms and cut just above the calf while other female players were wearing outfits that covered all of the body.

Lenglen’s boldness also shocked viewers as she not only made a statement with her dress but also by casually sipping brandy between sets.

Later in her career, Lenglen chose to retire from competitive tennis and chose to open a Paris tennis school.

She was the first major female tennis star to turn professional. In June 1938, it was announced that Lenglen was diagnosed with Leukemia and three weeks later she went blind.

Lenglen died of Pernicious Anemia on July 4, 1938. Lenglen won a total of 81 singles titles, 73 doubles titles, 11 mixed doubles titles, and 31 Grand Slam wins. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978.

Career Record

Singles

  • Career Record: 332–7 (97.9%)[4]
  • Career Titles: 83

  • Highest Singles Ranking: 1 (1921)

Best Grand Slam Singles Performance

  • French Open - W (1925, 1926)
  • Wimbledon - W (1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925)
  • US Open - 2R (1921)

Other Tournaments

  • WHCC - W (1914, 1921, 1922, 1923)
  • Olympic Games - W (1920)

Doubles

  • Career Record: 254–6 (97.7%)
  • Career Titles: 74

Grand Slam Doubles Performances

  • French Open - W (1925, 1926)
  • Wimbledon - W (1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925)

Other Doubles Tournaments

  • WHCC - W (1914, 1921, 1922)

  • Olympic Games - SF – Bronze (1920)

Mixed Doubles

  • Career Record: 381–18 (95.5%)
  • Career Titles: 93

Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Performances

  • French Open - W (1925, 1926)
  • Wimbledon - W (1920, 1922, 1925)

Other Mixed Doubles Tournaments

  • WHCC - W (1921, 1922, 1923)
  • Olympic Games - W (1920)

Medal Record

  • Gold - 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games, Women’s singles
  • Gold - 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games, Mixed Doubles
  • Bronze - 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games, Women’s doubles

People Ask

How tall was Suzanne Lenglen?

Her height was listed as 164 cm tall.

Did Suzanne Lenglen win an Olympic gold medal?

Yes. She has two Olympic gold medals and one bronze. She won all three at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. She won the gold for women’s singles and mixed doubles. She won the bronze for women’s doubles.

What was Suzanne Lenglen’s nickname?

Our Suzanne. The French media referred to Suzanne Lenglen as ‘Our Suzanne’ at the height of her career. She was also referred to as ‘La Divine’.

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