Simonne Mathieu
Simonne Mathieu (French pronunciation: [simɔn matjø] née Passemard; spelled "Simone" in many sources)[1] (31 January 1908 – 7 January 1980) was a female tennis player from France, born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, who was active in the 1930s.
 | |
| Full name | Simonne Emma Henriette Passemard-Mathieu |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  France |
| Born | 31 January 1908 Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France |
| Died | 7 January 1980 (aged 71) Chatou, France |
| Plays | Right–handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2006 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (1932, A. Wallis Myers) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | W (1938, 1939) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937) |
| US Open | QF (1938) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939) |
| Wimbledon | W (1933, 1934, 1937) |
| US Open | F (1938) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1937, 1938) |
| Wimbledon | F (1937) |
During World War II, she created and led the Corps of French Volunteers in the Free French Forces, the first female unit in the military history of France.
Tennis career
Mathieu is best remembered for winning two major singles titles at the French Championships (in 1938 and 1939), and for reaching the final of that tournament an additional six times, in 1929, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, and 1937. In those finals, she lost three times to Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling, twice to Helen Wills Moody, and once to Margaret Scriven.
Mathieu won 11 Grand Slam doubles championships: three women's doubles titles at Wimbledon (1933–34, 1937), six women's doubles titles at the French Championships (1933–34, 1936–39), and two mixed-doubles titles at the French Championships (1937–38). She completed the rare triple at the French Championships in 1938, winning the singles, women's doubles, and mixed-doubles titles.
Mathieu's 13 Grand Slam titles are second only to Suzanne Lenglen's 21 among French women.
According to A. Wallis Myers and John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail respectively, Mathieu was ranked in the world top 10 from 1929 through 1939 (no rankings were issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of world No. 3 in 1932.[2]
The winners' trophy of the women's doubles event at the French Open is named in her honour as the Coupe Simonne-Mathieu.[3]
World War II
During World War II, Captain Mathieu was founder of the Corps Féminin Français, the women's volunteer branch of the Free French Forces, similar to the British Auxiliary Territorial Service.[4] Mathieu was succeeded in that position by Captain Hélène Terré.[5] For their service, each woman was named an Officer of the Legion of Honor.[6]
Honours
She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.[7]
In November 2017, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) announced that the third show-court at Roland Garros will be named Court Simonne-Mathieu in her honor.[8]
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 8 (2 titles, 6 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1929 | French Championships | Clay | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Helen Wills | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1932 | French Championships | Clay | Helen Wills | 5–7, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1933 | French Championships | Clay |  Margaret Scriven | 2–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1935 | French Championships | Clay | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Hilde Krahwinkel | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1936 | French Championships | Clay | Hilde Krahwinkel | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1937 | French Championships | Clay | Hilde Krahwinkel | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1938 | French Championships | Clay | Nelly Landry | 6–0, 6–3 |
| Win | 1939 | French Championships | Clay | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Jadwiga Jędrzejowska | 6–3, 8–6 |
Doubles: 13 (9 titles, 4 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1930 | French Championships | Clay | Simone Barbier | Elizabeth Ryan Helen Wills | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 1933 | French Championships | Clay | Elizabeth Ryan | Sylvie Jung Henrotin Colette Rosambert | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Win | 1933 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Elizabeth Ryan | Freda James Billie Yorke | 6–2, 9–11, 6–4 |
| Win | 1934 | French Championships | Clay | Elizabeth Ryan | Helen Jacobs Sarah Palfrey | 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 1934 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Elizabeth Ryan | Dorothy Andrus Sylvie Jung Henrotin | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1935 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Hilde Krahwinkel | Freda James Kay Stammers | 1–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1936 | French Championships | Clay | Billie Yorke |  Jadwiga Jędrzejowska Susan Noel | 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1937 | French Championships | Clay | Billie Yorke | Dorothy Andrus Sylvie Jung Henrotin | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 1937 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Billie Yorke | Phyllis King Elsie Goldsack | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 1938 | French Championships | Clay | Billie Yorke | Nelly Adamson Arlette Halff | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1938 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Billie Yorke | Sarah Palfrey Alice Marble | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1938 | US Championships | Grass | Jadwiga Jędrzejowska | Sarah Palfrey Alice Marble | 8–6, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 1939 | French Championships | Clay | Jadwiga Jędrzejowska | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Alice Florian Hella Kovac | 7–5, 7–5 |
Mixed doubles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1937 | French Championships | Clay | Yvon Petra | Marie-Luise Horn Roland Journu | 7–5, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1937 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Yvon Petra | Alice Marble Don Budge | 1–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1938 | French Championships | Clay | Dragutin Mitić | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Nancye Wynne Bolton Christian Boussus | 2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1939 | French Championships | Clay | Franjo Kukuljević | Sarah Palfrey Elwood Cooke | 6–4, 1–6, 5–7 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 – 1944 | 1945 | 19461 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | NH | NH | A | 0 / 0 |
| French Championships | QF | QF | 3R | A | F | QF | QF | F | F | SF | F | F | F | W | W | NH | R | A | A | 2 / 14 |
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | 2R | A | 3R | SF | SF | SF | QF | SF | QF | SF | SF | QF | QF | NH | NH | NH | 1R | 0 / 14 |
| US Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | 1R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 2 / 30 |
R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.
1In 1946, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.
See also
References
- "Who is the real Simonne? – Roland-Garros – The 2022 Roland-Garros Tournament official site". Roland Garros. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 701–2. ISBN 978-0-942257-41-0.
- "An A to Z of Roland Garros". rolandgarros.com. Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
- Hammerton, John, ed. (10 April 1941). "Free French 'A.T.S.'". The War Illustrated. London: William Berry (Volume 4, issue no. 84): 384. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
- "» Les volontaires féminines de la France Libre" (in French). 2 July 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- Franck Lehodey (December 2010 – January 2011). "Simonne Mathieu, libre arbitre" (PDF). Tennis Info (in French) (428): 24. ISSN 0221-8127.
- "Hall of Famers – Simonne Mathieu". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 13 August 2010.
- "Simonne Mathieu, more than just a tennis great". rolandgarros.com. Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT). 23 November 2017.