Betty May Nuthall Shoemaker was a professional tennis player from the Great Britain. Known for her relatively powerful forehand, Nuthall Shoemaker was born on May 23, 1911 in Surbiton, Surrey and started playing tennis while she was still seven years old. Her father was her first coach and after constant training, she made waves in the world of tennis.
In 1927, the 16 year old Nuthall Shoemaker landed on a tie with Elisabeth Moore – the youngest women’s singles finalist at that time. Nuthall Shoemaker would have nabbed the title had she defeated Helen Wills Moody in the final round of the U.S. Championships. During that same year, Nuthall Shoemaker participated in the British Wightman Cup and defeated Helen Jacobs.
1930 was a memorable year for Nuthall Shoemaker as she became the first female who was not from America, to win the U.S. Championships since way back 1892. After her win, she held the position as the last British to win the title until 1968 when Virginia Wade won the title.
Nuthall Shoemaker’s strength was in the game was her forehand. She was used to holding the racket with an extended right arm. Using her arm as a flail, she then hit the ball with amazing power over to the other side of the net. She also played on speed without temporizing. In addition to her force and speed, she was also resourceful and extremely wise in her game tactics.
Though Nuthall Shoemaker had numerous titles to her name, she has only 1 Grand Slam title – U.S. Championship in 1930. She lived her life to the fullest, and she passed away in November 1983 in New York City, New York, in the United States.
