The Wightman Cup was an annual team tennis competition for women contested from 1923 through 1989 (except during World War II ) between teams from the United States and Great Britain .
27-582: U.S. player Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman wanted to generate international interest in women's tennis the way Davis Cup did for men's. In 1920, she donated a sterling silver vase to the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) as a prize for an international team competition. Initial efforts to involve teams from all over the world, and in particular France with Suzanne Lenglen , proved unsuccessful due to financial constraints. The USLTA decided to invite Great Britain to challenge for
54-485: A Miss Huiskamp (first name unknown). Wightman successfully defended all three titles at the U.S. Championships in 1910 and 1911. Wightman easily defeated Hammond in the 1910 singles final. May Sutton , an old West Coast rival and singles titlist at the U.S. Championships in 1904, pushed Wightman hard in the 1911 singles final before Wightman prevailed 8–10, 6–4, 9–7. The most remarkable comeback in Wightman's career came at
81-482: A lifetime total of 45 U.S. titles, the last at age 68. She won 16 titles overall at the U.S. Championships , four of them in singles (1909–11, 1919). Nine of her titles at the U.S. Championships came from 1909 to 1911, when she swept the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles competitions three consecutive years. Wightman is known as the "Queen Mother of American Tennis" or "Lady Tennis" for her lifelong participation in and promotion of women's tennis and because she
108-622: The Davis Cup and offered a silver vase as prize. In 1923, the British and Americans had the strongest women players. So, Julian Myrick of the United States Lawn Tennis Association decided that a U.S.-Britain competition would be in order for the Wightman Cup . The event, with Wightman captaining and playing for a winning U.S. side, opened the newly constructed stadium at Forest Hills, New York . A treasured series, it lasted through 1989, disbanding when
135-702: The USTA Service Bowl was donated in her honor. In 1973, Wightman was appointed as an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire . Though short in stature, Wightman anticipated and moved extremely well around a tennis court. She perfected her volleying style early, hitting the ball against the family home in Berkeley, California, where she grew up and graduated from the University of California. She refused to let
162-597: The University of California, Berkeley and served as the chapter's president. Wightman was the mother of five children. She died at her home in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts on December 5, 1974, aged 87. In 1973, Queen Elizabeth II made her an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire . Wightman dominated American women's tennis before World War I and had an unparalleled reputation for sportsmanship. Wightman won
189-480: The British matches were played at Wimbledon from the first year, 1924, through 1972. The competition was a two-day event until 1967 when the U.S. event was held over three days in order to generate more revenue. A record 16,000 spectators attended that year. Until 1960, all editions of the Wightman Cup were played on grass courts : in later years also clay courts , cement and synthetic carpet were used. In 1978,
216-422: The British matches were played at Wimbledon from the first year, 1924, through 1972. The competition was a two-day event until 1967 when the U.S. event was held over three days in order to generate more revenue. A record 16,000 spectators attended that year. Until 1960, all editions of the Wightman Cup were played on grass courts : in later years also clay courts , cement and synthetic carpet were used. In 1978,
243-765: The WHCC in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris. Beginning in 1925, the French Championships were open to all nationalities, with the results shown here beginning with that year. Wightman Cup The Wightman Cup was an annual team tennis competition for women contested from 1923 through 1989 (except during World War II ) between teams from the United States and Great Britain . U.S. player Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman wanted to generate international interest in women's tennis
270-466: The ball bounce because the yard was so uneven. She used to play against her four brothers and then the proud and spiky Sutton sisters. Wightman was a shy, somewhat awed, and fascinated 22-year-old college girl when she arrived at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in 1909 for the U.S. Championships . She never before played on grass, but she used her attacking style and rock-ribbed volleying—she
297-743: The competition moved indoors to the Royal Albert Hall , was sponsored for the first time, and was called the Carnation Wightman Cup. The BBC provided broadcast coverage of the competition from 1936 until 1987, although the final broadcast was limited to BBC Radio; the last televised competition in the UK was 1986. The competition was continued through 1989, with the USTA and the Lawn Tennis Association jointly announcing on February 20, 1990 that
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#1732854866332324-459: The competition moved indoors to the Royal Albert Hall , was sponsored for the first time, and was called the Carnation Wightman Cup. The BBC provided broadcast coverage of the competition from 1936 until 1987, although the final broadcast was limited to BBC Radio; the last televised competition in the UK was 1986. The competition was continued through 1989, with the USTA and the Lawn Tennis Association jointly announcing on February 20, 1990 that
351-583: The competition would be suspended indefinitely, citing low interest following years of American domination. Total wins: [REDACTED] United States 51–10 [REDACTED] United Kingdom Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman Hazel Virginia Hotchkiss Wightman , CBE (née Hotchkiss; December 20, 1886 – December 5, 1974) was an American tennis player and founder of the Wightman Cup , an annual team competition for British and American women. She dominated American women's tennis before World War I and won 45 U.S. titles during her life. Wightman
378-662: The event was no longer competitive. Wightman, devoted to the game in all aspects, generously instructed innumerable players at no charge throughout her life. She also teamed with two of her protégées who later joined her in the International Tennis Hall of Fame to win important titles: Wimbledon , U.S., and Olympic doubles titles with Helen Wills Moody in 1924 and U.S. Indoor women's doubles titles with Sarah Palfrey Cooke from 1928 through 1931. Her second Olympic gold medal in 1924 came in mixed doubles with Dick Williams . The last of Wightman's record 34 U.S. adult titles
405-425: The nearby courts of the University of California, Berkeley where she graduated in 1911. Her rivalry with fellow Californian May Sutton shaped a new women's game, with Wightman attacking the net to counter Sutton's dominating forehand. Wightman devoted herself to teaching young people, opening her home near Boston's Longwood Cricket Club to aspiring champions. In recognition of Wightman's contributions to tennis,
432-403: The prize. Each match consisted of seven 'rubbers': five singles rubbers and two doubles. The top two players from each team would face each other in singles, with the matches then reversed. A third singles player from each team would play each other once. Two doubles teams would compete, but no player could play more than one doubles match. The cup always ended with the doubles match played between
459-402: The prize. Each match consisted of seven 'rubbers': five singles rubbers and two doubles. The top two players from each team would face each other in singles, with the matches then reversed. A third singles player from each team would play each other once. Two doubles teams would compete, but no player could play more than one doubles match. The cup always ended with the doubles match played between
486-443: The singles final of the 1911 Niagara International Tennis Tournament against Sutton. After losing the first set 0–6 and going down 1–5 in the second, she won 12 straight games and the title 0–6, 7–5, 6–0. In 1912, Wightman married Bostonian George Wightman and did not defend her U.S. titles. However, responding to a challenge from her father to win after becoming a mother, which would be a U.S. first, she played again in 1915, losing
513-427: The singles final to Molla Bjurstedt Mallory but winning the women's doubles and mixed doubles titles. At age 32, she won her fourth singles title with the loss of only one set, beating Marion Zinderstein 6–1, 6–2 in the final. She also reached the women's doubles final. Thereafter, her success (U.S. adult titles between 1909 and 1943) was limited to doubles. Wightman envisioned a team tournament for women similar to
540-624: The two top pairs from each team. The inaugural competition was played on 11 and 13 August 1923 in the newly constructed stadium at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York . The matches were played in even years in Britain and in odd years in the U.S. The U.S. matches were played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York from the first year, 1923, through 1947, and
567-401: The two top pairs from each team. The inaugural competition was played on 11 and 13 August 1923 in the newly constructed stadium at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York . The matches were played in even years in Britain and in odd years in the U.S. The U.S. matches were played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York from the first year, 1923, through 1947, and
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#1732854866332594-406: The way Davis Cup did for men's. In 1920, she donated a sterling silver vase to the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) as a prize for an international team competition. Initial efforts to involve teams from all over the world, and in particular France with Suzanne Lenglen , proved unsuccessful due to financial constraints. The USLTA decided to invite Great Britain to challenge for
621-476: Was born Hazel Virginia Hotchkiss in Healdsburg, California , to William Joseph and Emma Lucretia (Grove) Hotchkiss. In February 1912, at the age of 25, she married George W. Wightman of Boston. Her father-in-law, George Henry Wightman, was a leader in the steel industry, as an associate of Andrew Carnegie , and one of the country's foremost pioneers of amateur tennis. She became a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma at
648-471: Was donated in 1923 by Wightman in honor of her husband. The first contest at Forest Hills, New York on August 11 and 13, 1923 was won by the United States. Born during the early days of American tennis, Wightman was a frail and awkward child. Her doctor recommended that she take up a sport to strengthen herself. Her brother suggested tennis as it was considered a "genteel" sport. Wightman learned to play at
675-545: Was instrumental in organizing the Ladies International Tennis Challenge between British and American women's teams, better known as the Wightman Cup . The cup first was held in 1923 and continued through 1989. She played five years on the American team and was the captain of the American team from inception of the competition through 1948. The cup was composed of five singles and two doubles matches. The cup
702-718: Was recorded in 1943 as she, 56, and Pauline Betz Addie won the women's doubles title at the U.S. Indoor Championships over Lillian Lopaus and Judy Atterbury , 7–5, 6–1. Wightman was included in the year-end top 10 rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association in 1915, 1918, and 1919 and was the top ranked U.S. player in 1919 (rankings began in 1913). Through 1923, the French Championships were open only to French nationals. The World Hard Court Championships (WHCC), actually played on clay in Paris or Brussels, began in 1912 and were open to all nationalities. The results from that tournament are shown here from 1912 through 1914 and from 1920 through 1923. The Olympics replaced
729-413: Was the first woman to rely so heavily on the volley—to win the all-comers final over Louise Hammond 6–8, 6–1, 6–4 and then the title over 39-year-old Maud Barger-Wallach 6–0, 6–1. Wightman also won the women's doubles and mixed doubles titles that year. In the 1910 Washington State Championships, Wightman won one of the few recorded "Golden Matches" in which the winner did not lose a point. She defeated
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