Helen Rice
Encyclopedia
Helena Bertha Grace Rice or Lena Rice (21 June 1866 – 21 June 1907) was the only female Irish
tennis
player to win a singles title at Wimbledon
. Rice (who was born Helena Bertha Grace) was the second youngest of the seven children of Spring Rice and Anna Gorde. She was born on 21 June 1866 at Marlhill, in a two-storied Georgian building, half a mile from New Inn, County Tipperary. She had two brothers, Henry and Spring, and four sisters, Bess, Connie, Annie and Lucy. Lena, who regularly partnered her sister Annie at tennis, learnt the game at home, where her parents entertained in their large garden at Marlhill in the 1880s. The family fortunes were not to last and after the death of Spring Rice, the household declined into a state of near destitution.
Lena played at Cahir
Lawn Tennis Club, which had four courts as well as two croquet lawns. Lena had a powerful service game and also a brilliant forehand drive and also that time most of her own opponents were men.
Lena Rice's first sporting appearance outside Co. Tipperary was at the Irish Championships at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in May 1889. Her sister Annie, who also played but usually lost in the first round, continued to travel with her sister to matches. At Fitswilliam Lena lost narrowly in two sets to Mrs Hillyard – five times Wimbledon Champion – in the semi-final. She took revenge in the Mixed Doubles when partnered by Willoughby Hamilton as she won the Mixed Doubles title, beating Mrs Hillyard and Henry Stone in the final 6–4 5–7 6–4.
In June that year she competed at the Lawnsdowne Handicap Challenge where she was runner-up in the singles tournament. She then traveled to England with her sister to compete at Wimbledon for the first time. Lena battled hard to the final wherein she met Mrs Hillyard. After almost two hours on Centre Court the Irishwoman had three match points to become the Wimbledon Champion of 1889. She lost her nerve though and faltered and Mrs Hillyard won the next three games and the match 4–6 8–6 6–4. This encounter has not happened since the women's final in Wimbledon in 2005 when Lindsay Davenport
had a match point against Venus Williams
but lost the match 9–7 in the final set. Rice returned to Ireland disappointed and exhausted.
The following year during the 1890 Irish Fitswilliam Championships, Rice lost the women's singles final to Louise Martin in a match she had been expected to win. In Wimbledon of that year Rice had little difficulty reaching the final where her opponent to be was Miss. M. Jacks of Great Britain. She had beaten her easily in the semi-final the previous year. On 4 July 1890 on the day of the final Rice wore a full-length dress with long sleeves, bustles, corsets and long petticoats and it also comprised an ankle-length floral-patterned skirt and a blouse tightly clinched to the waist.
Rice won the first set 6–4, but in the second set faltered again. In what turned out to be the final game of the match Lena stunned everyone when Jacks hit a ball into her opponent's side of the court which bounced to almost head height. Rice then leaped into the air and pointed her racket downwards smashing the ball and introducing the forehand smash into the game of tennis and became the first Irish woman to win Wimbledon.
Rice was aged 24 years and 14 days on her day of glory and had scored 58 points to her opponent's 42. She was presented with the 50 guineas Challenge Trophy, together with a cash prize of 20 guineas, a gold bracelet and a ring set with diamonds and emeralds.
Rice retired from competitive tennis immediately after her Wimbledon victory. It can only be assumed after her mother's ill health and the family's lack of money Lena returned to Ireland.
After her mother's death, little of Rice's life is known. She lived alone in Marlhill.
On 21 June 1907, seventeen years after her victory at Wimbledon, Rice died of tuberculosis
on her 41st birthday.
1This was actually the all-comers final as Blanche Bingley Hillyard did not defend her 1889 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1890 by walkover.
1This was actually the all-comers final as Lottie Dod
did not defend her 1888 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1889 by walkover.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
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...
player to win a singles title at 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...
. Rice (who was born Helena Bertha Grace) was the second youngest of the seven children of Spring Rice and Anna Gorde. She was born on 21 June 1866 at Marlhill, in a two-storied Georgian building, half a mile from New Inn, County Tipperary. She had two brothers, Henry and Spring, and four sisters, Bess, Connie, Annie and Lucy. Lena, who regularly partnered her sister Annie at tennis, learnt the game at home, where her parents entertained in their large garden at Marlhill in the 1880s. The family fortunes were not to last and after the death of Spring Rice, the household declined into a state of near destitution.
Lena played at Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
Lawn Tennis Club, which had four courts as well as two croquet lawns. Lena had a powerful service game and also a brilliant forehand drive and also that time most of her own opponents were men.
Lena Rice's first sporting appearance outside Co. Tipperary was at the Irish Championships at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in May 1889. Her sister Annie, who also played but usually lost in the first round, continued to travel with her sister to matches. At Fitswilliam Lena lost narrowly in two sets to Mrs Hillyard – five times Wimbledon Champion – in the semi-final. She took revenge in the Mixed Doubles when partnered by Willoughby Hamilton as she won the Mixed Doubles title, beating Mrs Hillyard and Henry Stone in the final 6–4 5–7 6–4.
In June that year she competed at the Lawnsdowne Handicap Challenge where she was runner-up in the singles tournament. She then traveled to England with her sister to compete at Wimbledon for the first time. Lena battled hard to the final wherein she met Mrs Hillyard. After almost two hours on Centre Court the Irishwoman had three match points to become the Wimbledon Champion of 1889. She lost her nerve though and faltered and Mrs Hillyard won the next three games and the match 4–6 8–6 6–4. This encounter has not happened since the women's final in Wimbledon in 2005 when Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
had a match point against Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
but lost the match 9–7 in the final set. Rice returned to Ireland disappointed and exhausted.
The following year during the 1890 Irish Fitswilliam Championships, Rice lost the women's singles final to Louise Martin in a match she had been expected to win. In Wimbledon of that year Rice had little difficulty reaching the final where her opponent to be was Miss. M. Jacks of Great Britain. She had beaten her easily in the semi-final the previous year. On 4 July 1890 on the day of the final Rice wore a full-length dress with long sleeves, bustles, corsets and long petticoats and it also comprised an ankle-length floral-patterned skirt and a blouse tightly clinched to the waist.
Rice won the first set 6–4, but in the second set faltered again. In what turned out to be the final game of the match Lena stunned everyone when Jacks hit a ball into her opponent's side of the court which bounced to almost head height. Rice then leaped into the air and pointed her racket downwards smashing the ball and introducing the forehand smash into the game of tennis and became the first Irish woman to win Wimbledon.
Rice was aged 24 years and 14 days on her day of glory and had scored 58 points to her opponent's 42. She was presented with the 50 guineas Challenge Trophy, together with a cash prize of 20 guineas, a gold bracelet and a ring set with diamonds and emeralds.
Rice retired from competitive tennis immediately after her Wimbledon victory. It can only be assumed after her mother's ill health and the family's lack of money Lena returned to Ireland.
After her mother's death, little of Rice's life is known. She lived alone in Marlhill.
On 21 June 1907, seventeen years after her victory at Wimbledon, Rice died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
on her 41st birthday.
Win
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 18901 | 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... |
 May Jacks |
6–4, 6–1 |
1This was actually the all-comers final as Blanche Bingley Hillyard did not defend her 1889 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1890 by walkover.
Runner-up
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 18891 | 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... |
Blanche Bingley Hillyard |
4–6, 8–6, 6–4 |
1This was actually the all-comers final as Lottie Dod
Lottie Dod
Charlotte "Lottie" Dod was an English sportswoman best known as a tennis player. She won the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Championship five times, the first one when she was only fifteen, in the summer of 1887...
did not defend her 1888 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1889 by walkover.
External links
- Tipperary Historical Journal (Her biography, PDF format)