Helen Wills
American tennis player with 31 Grand Slam titles.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Helen Newington Wills, later known as Helen Wills Moody and Helen Wills Roark, was an American tennis player born on October 6, 1905, in Centerville, California. She died on January 1, 1998. Over her career, she collected 31 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, with 19 of those in singles. Wills became the first American female athlete to achieve global fame, mingling with royalty and film stars even though she generally avoided the spotlight. Her graceful build and fluid movement drew admiration, and she helped change tennis fashion by wearing knee-length pleated skirts instead of the longer styles that came before. Her signature white visor became a popular piece of tennis gear at all levels and remains common today.
Unusually for her time, she trained against men to sharpen her skills, relying on a powerful, accurate baseline game that wore down her female opponents. In February 1926, she played a heavily publicized match against Suzanne Lenglen, dubbed the Match of the Century. From 1927 to 1933, Wills went on a 180-match winning streak. In 1933, she beat the eighth-ranked male player in the United States in an exhibition. Her eight Wimbledon titles stood as a record until Martina Navratilova won her ninth in 1990. Many—including Jack Kramer, Harry Hopman, Mercer Beasley, Don Budge, and AP News—have called her the greatest female player in history, and she has been described as arguably the most dominant tennis player of the 20th century.
Wills was the only child of Clarence A. Wills, a doctor and surgeon, and Catherine Anderson, who held a B.S. in Social Science from UC Berkeley. Her parents married in July 1904. She was homeschooled by her mother until age eight. When her father joined the military in December 1917 and was sent to France, her mother enrolled her at Bishop Hopkins Hall in Vermont. After World War I, the family returned to Berkeley, California, near Live Oak Park. Wills entered the Anna Head School as a ninth-grader, graduating at the top of her class in 1923. Her father’s family ran a wheat ranch near Antioch, and she sometimes practiced tennis at the Byron Hot Springs resort. She attended UC Berkeley on an academic scholarship, graduating in 1925 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
At age eight, her father gave her a tennis racket, and they practiced on dirt courts near the Alameda County Hospital and at Live Oak
- born
- October 6, 1905
- died
- January 1, 1998
- field
- Tennis
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- 31 Grand Slam titles, 19 singles titles, 180-match win streak (1927–1933), eight Wimbledon singles titles
Lore & Background
Helen Newington Wills was born on October 6, 1905, in Centerville, Alameda County, California (now Fremont), the only child of Clarence A. Wills, a physician and surgeon, and Catherine Anderson, a University of California at Berkeley graduate. She was tutored at home until age eight, then attended Bishop Hopkins Hall in Vermont while her father served in France during World War I. After the war, the family moved to Berkeley, where Wills graduated top of her class from Anna Head School in 1923 and later earned a degree from UC Berkeley as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her father bought her a tennis racket when she was eight, and she practiced on dirt courts, later joining the Berkeley Tennis Club in 1919 on the advice of coach William 'Pop' Fuller. She also practiced with Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman in 1920.
Wills entered her first tournament in September 1919 at age 13, losing in two close sets. By 1921 she won the California State Championships singles and doubles titles. In 1922 she reached the U.S. Championships final at age 16, losing to Molla Mallory, but won her first Grand Slam doubles title. She won her first U.S. singles title in 1923 at age 17, becoming the youngest champion at that time. In 1924 she competed in the Olympics in Paris, winning the doubles event with Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, and reached the Wimbledon singles final, losing to Kitty McKane in three sets—her only loss in the Wimbledon singles event. She practiced against men, played a relentless baseline game, and wore a hallmark white visor that became popular tennis attire.
Reader's Guide
Helen Wills is significant as arguably the most dominant tennis player of the 20th century, with a 180-match win streak from 1927 to 1933 and eight Wimbledon singles titles, a record not surpassed until 1990 by Martina Navratilova. She was the first American woman athlete to achieve global celebrity, befriending royalty and film stars while maintaining a preference for privacy. Her style—knee-length pleated skirts and a white visor—influenced tennis fashion for generations. She played a powerful baseline game, often practicing against men, and in 1933 beat the eighth-ranked US male player in an exhibition match. Her 1926 match against Suzanne Lenglen was called the Match of the Century. She has been called by some, including Jack Kramer, Harry Hopman, Mercer Beasley, Don Budge, and AP News, the greatest female player in history. Her legacy endures as a pioneer in women's sports and a benchmark of tennis excellence.
Did You Know?
- She had a 180-match win streak from 1927 until 1933.
- She beat the eighth-ranked US male player in an exhibition match in 1933.
- Her record of eight wins at Wimbledon was not surpassed until 1990 when Martina Navratilova won her ninth.
- She was the first American woman athlete to become a global celebrity.
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