Ann Haydon-Jones
Encyclopedia
Ann Haydon-JonesAnn Haydon-Jones (born Adrianne Shirley Haydon on 7 October 1938 in Birmingham
, United Kingdom, is a former table tennis
and lawn tennis
champion. She won a total of eight Grand Slam
championships during her career: three in singles, three in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles.
She was also a powerful lawn tennis player, winning the 1954 and 1955 British junior championships. In 1956, she won the Wimbledon
girls' singles championship.
Haydon-Jones played lawn tennis in a highly competitive era that included some of the greatest female tennis players of all time, including Billie Jean King
, Margaret Court, and Maria Bueno
. Despite the fierce competition, she won the 1961 French Championships and reached the final of the 1961 U.S. Championships, losing to the defending champion, Darlene Hard
. In 1962, she married P.F. Jones and, recorded as Ann Haydon-Jones, won the French title for a second time in 1966.
At both the Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Championships in 1967, Haydon-Jones lost in the final to King. Two years later, however, the two again met in the Wimbledon final. This time, Haydon-Jones took the most coveted title in the sport, making her the first left-handed female player to do so. She capped off that year's Wimbledon by winning the mixed doubles championship with Australia's
Fred Stolle
. Her performances resulted in her being voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
. Haydon-Jones made Wimbledon 1969 her last Grand Slam singles event. She was seeded number one for the 1969 US Open but withdrew before the tournament began. She radically reduced her playing schedule for 1970, playing in South Africa successfully (winning both the Orange Free State Championships and the Western Province Championships), but then largely playing only events in the United Kingdom (UK) for the remainder of the year. She returned to the international scene to play the Federation Cup event in Australia, where she partnered Virginia Wade
on the British team. In 1971, Jones played on the Virginia Slims circuit, winning the U.S.$10,000 first prize for the event staged in Las Vegas, beating King in the final. Jones more or less retired after this event as she was expecting her first child. However, Jones continued to play the occasional UK event and was part of the 1975 Wightman Cup team for Great Britain. In 1977, Jones teamed with Winnie Wooldridge to play doubles at Wimbledon.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph
and the Daily Mail
and Bud Collins
, Haydon-Jones was ranked in the world top ten from 1957 through 1963 and from 1965 through 1970, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1967 and 1969.
According to Mark Lewisohn
in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
, on 4 July 1969, The Beatles
paused the dubbing
session for their song "Golden Slumbers
" to listen to Haydon-Jones beat King for the Wimbledon title, live on radio.
With the dawn of the open era in 1968, Haydon-Jones joined with King and others to organize the first professional female touring group. In 1970, she was hired by the BBC
as a guest commentator and worked with them for over three decades, while occasionally commentating for US TV stations tennis coverage. Jones was chairperson of the Women's International Tennis Council and for many years the British team captain for events such as the Federation and Wightman Cups.
Haydon-Jones was also the butt of many jokes on Monty Python's Flying Circus
during its series run. As a running gag, the Pythons would frequently insert "Ann Haydon-Jones and her husband Pip" into any sketch where a list of names was being read off.
In 1985, Haydon-Jones was voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
. For many years, Jones was chairperson of the International Women's Tennis Council and has long been a member of Wimbledon's Committee of Management. She became the first ever 'civilian woman' (i.e. not a member of the British Royal Family) to present the trophies at Wimbledon, when she awarded the winners of the Mixed Doubles championship their cup in 2007, a ceremony she now regularly performs. She has since also presented the junior girls trophy.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Jones was in fact the number one seed for the 1969 US Open Singles, but withdrew from the tournament just before it began.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, United Kingdom, is a former table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
and lawn tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
champion. She won a total of eight Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
championships during her career: three in singles, three in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles.
Career
Her parents were prominent table tennis players, her father, Adrian Haydon, having been British number 1 and a competitor at world championships between 1928 and 1953. Ann, as a young girl, also took up the game, participating in five world championships in the 1950s, the best result being losing finalist in singles, doubles and mixed doubles all in 1957. Soon after this she wrote the book "Tackle Table Tennis This Way".She was also a powerful lawn tennis player, winning the 1954 and 1955 British junior championships. In 1956, she won the Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
girls' singles championship.
Haydon-Jones played lawn tennis in a highly competitive era that included some of the greatest female tennis players of all time, including Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
, Margaret Court, and Maria Bueno
Maria Bueno
Maria Esther Andion Bueno is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. During her 11-year career , she won 19 Major titles ....
. Despite the fierce competition, she won the 1961 French Championships and reached the final of the 1961 U.S. Championships, losing to the defending champion, Darlene Hard
Darlene Hard
Darlene Hard is an American former amateur tennis player. Known for her volleying ability and strong serves, she captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S...
. In 1962, she married P.F. Jones and, recorded as Ann Haydon-Jones, won the French title for a second time in 1966.
At both the Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Championships in 1967, Haydon-Jones lost in the final to King. Two years later, however, the two again met in the Wimbledon final. This time, Haydon-Jones took the most coveted title in the sport, making her the first left-handed female player to do so. She capped off that year's Wimbledon by winning the mixed doubles championship with Australia's
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Fred Stolle
Fred Stolle
Frederick "Fred" Sydney Stolle is an Australian tennis player. He was born in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia. He is the father of former Australian Davis Cup player Sandon Stolle....
. Her performances resulted in her being voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
. Haydon-Jones made Wimbledon 1969 her last Grand Slam singles event. She was seeded number one for the 1969 US Open but withdrew before the tournament began. She radically reduced her playing schedule for 1970, playing in South Africa successfully (winning both the Orange Free State Championships and the Western Province Championships), but then largely playing only events in the United Kingdom (UK) for the remainder of the year. She returned to the international scene to play the Federation Cup event in Australia, where she partnered Virginia Wade
Virginia Wade
Sarah Virginia Wade, OBE is a former English tennis player. She won three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam doubles championships. She won the women's singles championship at Wimbledon on 1 July 1977, in that tournament's centenary year, the last time any Briton has won a...
on the British team. In 1971, Jones played on the Virginia Slims circuit, winning the U.S.$10,000 first prize for the event staged in Las Vegas, beating King in the final. Jones more or less retired after this event as she was expecting her first child. However, Jones continued to play the occasional UK event and was part of the 1975 Wightman Cup team for Great Britain. In 1977, Jones teamed with Winnie Wooldridge to play doubles at Wimbledon.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
and Bud Collins
Bud Collins
-External links:*** 2001 interview with Collins*...
, Haydon-Jones was ranked in the world top ten from 1957 through 1963 and from 1965 through 1970, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1967 and 1969.
According to Mark Lewisohn
Mark Lewisohn
Mark Lewisohn is an English author and historian, regarded as the world's leading authority on the English rock band The Beatles.-The Beatles and related subjects:...
in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions is a book by Mark Lewisohn, first published in 1988 by Hamlyn , and executive produced by Norman Bates for the record company EMI...
, on 4 July 1969, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
paused the dubbing
Dubbing (music)
In sound recording, dubbing is the transfer or copying of previously recorded audio material from one medium to another of the same or a different type. It may be done with a machine designed for this purpose, or by connecting two different machines: one to play back and one to record the signal...
session for their song "Golden Slumbers
Golden Slumbers
"Golden Slumbers" is a song by The Beatles, part of the climactic medley on their 1969 album Abbey Road. The song begins the progression that leads to the end of the album and is followed by "Carry That Weight." The two songs were recorded together as a single piece, and both were written by Paul...
" to listen to Haydon-Jones beat King for the Wimbledon title, live on radio.
With the dawn of the open era in 1968, Haydon-Jones joined with King and others to organize the first professional female touring group. In 1970, she was hired by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a guest commentator and worked with them for over three decades, while occasionally commentating for US TV stations tennis coverage. Jones was chairperson of the Women's International Tennis Council and for many years the British team captain for events such as the Federation and Wightman Cups.
Haydon-Jones was also the butt of many jokes on Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
during its series run. As a running gag, the Pythons would frequently insert "Ann Haydon-Jones and her husband Pip" into any sketch where a list of names was being read off.
In 1985, Haydon-Jones was voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. The hall of fame and honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis facility.-History:The hall of fame and...
. For many years, Jones was chairperson of the International Women's Tennis Council and has long been a member of Wimbledon's Committee of Management. She became the first ever 'civilian woman' (i.e. not a member of the British Royal Family) to present the trophies at Wimbledon, when she awarded the winners of the Mixed Doubles championship their cup in 2007, a ceremony she now regularly performs. She has since also presented the junior girls trophy.
Grand Slam record
- Australian OpenAustralian OpenThe Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
- Mixed Doubles champion: 1969
- French Championships/Open
- Singles champion: 1961, 1966
- Singles runner-up: 1963, 1968, 1969
- Women's Doubles champion: 1963, 1968, 1969
- Women's Doubles runner-up: 1960
- Mixed Doubles runner-up: 1960, 1966, 1967
- WimbledonThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
- Singles champion: 1969
- Singles runner-up: 1967
- Women's Doubles runner-up: 1968
- Mixed Doubles champion: 1969
- Mixed Doubles runner-up: 1962
- U.S. Championships
- Singles runner-up: 1961, 1967
- Women's Doubles runner-up: 1960
Wins (3)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1961 | French Championships |  Yola Ramírez OchoaYola Ramírez Yola Ramírez was an internationally renowned tennis player in the 1950s and 1960s.-Career:Ramírez was a singles finalist at the French Championships in 1960 and 1961. She lost the 1960 final to Darlene Hard and the 1961 final to Ann Haydon Jones, both International Tennis Hall of Fame enshrinees... |
6–2, 6–1 |
| 1966 | French Championships (2) |  Nancy Richey GunterNancy Richey Nancy Richey is a former tennis player from the United States.Richey won two Grand Slam singles titles and four Grand Slam women's doubles titles . She was ranked World No... |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 1969 | Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
Billie Jean King Billie Jean King Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society... |
3–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-ups (6)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1961 | U.S. Championships | Darlene Hard Darlene Hard Darlene Hard is an American former amateur tennis player. Known for her volleying ability and strong serves, she captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S... |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 1963 | French Championships |  Lesley Turner BowreyLesley Turner Bowrey Lesley Rosemary Turner Bowrey AM is an Australian female tennis player.Bowrey won 13 Grand Slam titles during her career: two in singles, seven in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles. She lost in the final of 14 other Grand Slam events.Bowrey twice won the singles title at the French... |
2–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
| 1967 | Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
Billie Jean King Billie Jean King Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society... |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 1967 | U.S. Championships | Billie Jean King |
11-9, 6–4 |
| 1968 | French Open | Nancy Richey Gunter Nancy Richey Nancy Richey is a former tennis player from the United States.Richey won two Grand Slam singles titles and four Grand Slam women's doubles titles . She was ranked World No... |
5–7, 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1969 | French Open | Margaret Court |
6–1, 4–6, 6–3 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | SF | 0 / 2 |
| France | A | SF | QF | A | 4R | W | SF | F | A | QF | W | QF | F | F | 2 / 11 |
| Wimbledon | 2R | 3R | SF | QF | SF | 4R | SF | SF | QF | 4R | SF | F | SF | W | 1 / 14 |
| United States | A | QF | 3R | SF | QF | F | A | SF | QF | QF | A | F | SF | A | 0 / 10 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 3 / 37 |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Jones was in fact the number one seed for the 1969 US Open Singles, but withdrew from the tournament just before it began.
Singles titles (113)
- 1956 – Cheltenham, Sunderland Championships, Welsh Championships, Worthing Hard Courts, North of England Championships
- 1957 – Tally Ho! Tournament, Northumberland County Championships, Malvern, Sunderland Championships, South of England Championships
- 1958 - Tally Ho!, Durham
- 1959 - Mexico City, Pan American Championships
- 1960 – Finnish Championships, Scandinavian Indoors, German Indoors, Good Neighbor Championships Miami, St. Petersburg Masters, Caribe Hilton International, Mexico City, St. Andrew's Invitations Kingston, Caribbean Championships, Tally Ho! Tournament, Sutton Hard Courts, Malvern Championships, Cologne Championships, Essex County Championships, Pacific Southwest Championships, Championships of Morocco, Torquay Palace Indoors.
- 1961 – Good Neighbor Championships Miami, French Championships, Wolverhamption Open, Lowther Championships, Irish Championships, Welsh Championships, Canadian Nationals, Chilean Nationals, São Paulo Championships
- 1962 – West Province Championships, Hewlett's Hard Courts Durban, French Indoors, Scandinavian Indoors, British Covered Court ChampionshipsBritish Covered Court ChampionshipsThe British Covered Court Championships, , was a tennis event held from 1885–1971. For its first five years it was held at Hyde Park Lawn Tennis Club but from 1890–1968 the tournament was played at Queen's Club in London...
, Cumberland Hard Courts, Sutton Hard Courts, London Hard Courts, Cheltenham, Midland Championships (shared), Welsh Championships, St. Moritz, Palce Torquay
- 1963 - Coupe Pierre Gillou, German Indoors, Scandinavian Indoor Championships, French Indoors, Carlton International, Sutton Championships, British Hard Courts, London Hard Courts, Wolverhampton, Cheltenham, Hoylake Open, Carlyon Bay Championships
- 1964 - British Hard Courts, Sutton Coldfield , Surrey Championships, Bavarian Championships, British Covered Court Championships, Carlyon Bay Covered Courts
- 1965 - German Indoors, French Indoors, Dutch Indoor, Cumberland Championships, Sutton Hard Courts, British Hard Courts, British Covered Court Championships, Carlyon Bay Covered Courts, Palace Torquay
- 1966 - German Indoors, French Indoors, Cumberland Championships, British Hard Courts, Connaught, Italian Championships, French Championships, Moscow International
- 1967 - German Indoors, Scandinavian Indoors, Dixie International, Barranquilla Championships, Caracas Championships, Curaçao Invitational, Mexico City, Caribe Hilton International, Masters Invitational, Kent Championships, Essex Championships
- 1968 - Caracas, Queen's Club (shared), Argentine & South American Open
- 1969 - New Zealand Open, Monte Carlo Open, Belgian Open, Queen's Club Grass Championships, Wimbledon, Aix-En-Provence Championships, British Covered Court Championships
- 1970 - Orange Free State Championships, Western Province Championships, Benson & Hedges Open, Bio-Strath London Hard Court Championships, Surrey Grass Courts, Chichester, Eastbourne International, Turkish International, Dewar Cup Torquay
- 1971 - Caribe Hilton International, Caesar's Palace World Pro
- 1975 - Torquay Palace Indoors
See also
- Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam finalTennis performance timeline comparison (women)This article presents in a tabular form the career tennis Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships and Olympic singles results of every woman who has reached the singles final of at least one Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships or Olympic tournament during her career...