French · Compiègne, France · Born 24 May 1899 · Died 1938-07-04French pioneer who dominated women's tennis in the 1920s, winning 8 Grand Slam singles titles and Olympic gold, and helped popularize the sport worldwide.
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was born on 24 May 1899 in Compiègne, France, to Charles Lenglen, a wealthy businessman, and Anaïs Lenglen, and took up tennis as a child partly to help manage chronic asthma. Her father coached her with rigorous, systematic training from age 11, incorporating swimming, jumping, and sprinting alongside daily tennis drills, and taught her an aggressive serve-and-volley style unusual for a woman of her era. Lenglen won her first major title at Wimbledon in 1919, becoming the first non-British woman to lift the trophy, and went on to dominate women's tennis for the following seven years, winning six consecutive Wimbledon singles titles between 1919 and 1925 and six French titles. She also won gold medals in singles and mixed doubles at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, along with a bronze in doubles. Nicknamed "La Divine" (The Divine One) by the French press, Lenglen became tennis's first true global celebrity, renowned for her balletic, athletic playing style and for daring, above-the-calf skirts that scandalised conservative observers while revolutionising women's sportswear. Her extraordinary popularity is credited with helping prompt Wimbledon's move to a larger venue in 1922. Lenglen compiled a staggering 269 wins from 270 matches between 1919 and 1926 before turning professional, and was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978. She died of leukaemia on 4 July 1938, in Paris, at just 39 years old.
Dominant female player of the 1920s, pioneer of women's tennis
She is said to have lost only one match in seven years of competitive play in the 1920s — one of the most dominant runs in all of sporting history.
Did You Know?How They Played
Lenglen played with unprecedented athleticism and aggression for women's tennis of her era. She possessed powerful groundstrokes from both wings and was comfortable attacking the net. Her fluid movement and acrobatic shot-making brought a new dynamic style to the women's game.
Lasting Impact
Lenglen transformed women's tennis from a genteel pastime into an athletic spectacle, paving the way for future generations of female athletes. Her influence extended beyond technique to fashion and the professional presentation of women's sports.
Career Honours
- 8 Grand Slam singles titles (Wimbledon, French Championships)
- Olympic gold medallist (1920 Antwerp)
- International Tennis Hall of Fame (1978)
French Athletes