Molla Mallory
Encyclopedia
Anna Margarethe "Molla" Bjurstedt Mallory (March 6, 1884 in Oslo
– November 22, 1959 in Stockholm
) was a Norwegian
-born American
tennis player.
games in Stockholm, and was the many-time champion of her homeland, Mallory was relatively unknown when she arrived in New York City
to begin work as a masseuse in 1915. She entered the U.S. Indoor Championships
that year unheralded and beat three-time defending champion Marie Wagner 6–4, 6–4, which was the first of her five singles titles at that tournament. She also won the title in Cincinnati
in 1912.
Mallory had less in the way of stroke equipment than most tennis champions. But the sturdy, Norwegian-born woman, the daughter of an army officer, was a fierce competitor, running with limitless endurance. Robert (Bob) Kelleher
, a former president of the United States Tennis Association
(USTA) and a ball boy during Mallory's era, once said, "She looked and acted tough when she was on the court hitting tennis balls. She walked around in a manner that said you'd better look out or she'd deck you. She was an indomitable scrambler and runner. She was a fighter."
She was a player of the old school. She held that a woman could not sustain a volleying attack in a long match. "I do not know a single girl who can play the net game." Therefore, she relied on her baseline game, consisting of strong forehand attacks and a ceaseless defense that wore down her opponents. She took the ball on the rise and drove it from corner to corner to keep her opponent on the constant run. Her quick returns made her passing shots extremely effective. She once said, "I find that the girls generally do not hit the ball as hard as they should. I believe in always hitting the ball with all my might, but there seems to be a disposition to 'just get it over' in many girls whom I have played. I do not call this tennis."
Her second round match with Suzanne Lenglen
at the U.S. Championships in 1921 brought Mallory her greatest celebrity. Before the match, Bill Tilden
advised Mallory to "hit the cover off the ball." Once the match began, Mallory "attacked with a vengeance" and was ahead 2–0 (40-0) when Lenglen began to cough. Mallory won the first set 6–2 and was up 40-0 on Lenglen's serve in the first game of the second set when Lenglen began to weep and walked to the umpire's
stand and informed the official that she was ill and could not continue. This match ranks among the most sensational dramas ever recorded on the tennis court. After the match, the USTA accused Lenglen of feigning illness. The French Tennis Federation (FTF) exonerated Lenglen and accepted her testimony (and a doctor's) that she had been ill. However, Albert de Joannis, vice president of the FTF who accompanied Lenglen during her trip to the United States, quit his post in protest of the FTF's conclusion. He claimed that Lenglen was "perfectly fit" during the match and that, "She was defeated by a player who on that date showed a better brand of tennis."
Lenglen avenged the loss by defeating Mallory 6–2, 6–0 in 35 minutes in the 1922 Wimbledon final, still the fastest major match on record. Lenglen reportedly said to Mallory after the match, "Now, Mrs. Mallory, I have proved to you today what I could have done to you in New York last year," to which Mallory replied, "Mlle. Lenglen, you have done to me today what I did to you in New York last year; you have beaten me." However, Kathleen McKane Godfree
has said that Lenglen denied this exchange. Lenglen claimed that she merely said "thank you" to Mallory and coughed very suggestively behind an uplifted hand. This was to remind Mallory that she - Lenglen - had indeed had whooping cough in their New York match the previous year. The two played for the last time that summer in Nice, France with Lenglen winning 6–0, 6–0. This completed the head-to-head rivalry between the players, with Lenglen winning their first match at the 1921 World Hard Court Championships 6–3, 6–2, after which Mallory said about Lenglen, "She is just the steadiest player that ever was. She just sent back at me whatever I sent at her and waited for me to make a fault. And her returns often enough were harder than the shots I sent up to her."
Mallory won the singles title at the U.S. Championships a record eight times in fifteen attempts, with the last of her titles occurring at age 42 in 1926. Her worst finish there was a quarterfinal loss in 1927 at age 43. In 1926, Mallory hit one of the heights of her career when she came back from 0–4 in the third set of the final against Elizabeth Ryan
, saving a match point in winning her eighth championship. Her farewell to the U.S. Championships was as a 45-year-old semifinalist in 1929, losing to Helen Wills Moody
6–0, 6–0. Mallory is the only woman other than Chris Evert
to have won the U.S. Championships four consecutive times.
According to Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail
, Mallory was ranked in the world top ten from 1921 (when the rankings began) through 1927, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1921 and 1922. She was ranked in the U.S. top ten 13 consecutive years from 1915 through 1928 (no rankings were issued in 1917) and was top ranked from 1915 through 1922 and in 1926.
Mallory was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
in 1958.
NH = tournament not held.
R = tournament restricted to French nationals.
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.
1Through 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 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.
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
– November 22, 1959 in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
) was a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tennis player.
Tennis career
Although she had won a bronze medal in singles for Norway at the 1912 OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
games in Stockholm, and was the many-time champion of her homeland, Mallory was relatively unknown when she arrived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to begin work as a masseuse in 1915. She entered the U.S. Indoor Championships
US Indoors
The US Indoors, known formally as the U.S. Indoor Championships, was a national tennis championship for women that was sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association and held 79 times from 1907 through 2001 at various locations and on various surfaces. The event was affiliated with the WTA...
that year unheralded and beat three-time defending champion Marie Wagner 6–4, 6–4, which was the first of her five singles titles at that tournament. She also won the title in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
in 1912.
Mallory had less in the way of stroke equipment than most tennis champions. But the sturdy, Norwegian-born woman, the daughter of an army officer, was a fierce competitor, running with limitless endurance. Robert (Bob) Kelleher
Robert Kelleher
Robert "Bob" Kelleher of Butte, Montana was an attorney, and was the 2008 Republican Party candidate for the United States Senate. A colorful figure and perennial candidate, he served in elective office during the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention...
, a former president of the United States Tennis Association
United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
(USTA) and a ball boy during Mallory's era, once said, "She looked and acted tough when she was on the court hitting tennis balls. She walked around in a manner that said you'd better look out or she'd deck you. She was an indomitable scrambler and runner. She was a fighter."
She was a player of the old school. She held that a woman could not sustain a volleying attack in a long match. "I do not know a single girl who can play the net game." Therefore, she relied on her baseline game, consisting of strong forehand attacks and a ceaseless defense that wore down her opponents. She took the ball on the rise and drove it from corner to corner to keep her opponent on the constant run. Her quick returns made her passing shots extremely effective. She once said, "I find that the girls generally do not hit the ball as hard as they should. I believe in always hitting the ball with all my might, but there seems to be a disposition to 'just get it over' in many girls whom I have played. I do not call this tennis."
Her second round match with Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926...
at the U.S. Championships in 1921 brought Mallory her greatest celebrity. Before the match, Bill Tilden
Bill Tilden
William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of...
advised Mallory to "hit the cover off the ball." Once the match began, Mallory "attacked with a vengeance" and was ahead 2–0 (40-0) when Lenglen began to cough. Mallory won the first set 6–2 and was up 40-0 on Lenglen's serve in the first game of the second set when Lenglen began to weep and walked to the umpire's
Official (tennis)
In tennis, an official is a person who ensures that a match or tournament is conducted according to the International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis and other competition regulations....
stand and informed the official that she was ill and could not continue. This match ranks among the most sensational dramas ever recorded on the tennis court. After the match, the USTA accused Lenglen of feigning illness. The French Tennis Federation (FTF) exonerated Lenglen and accepted her testimony (and a doctor's) that she had been ill. However, Albert de Joannis, vice president of the FTF who accompanied Lenglen during her trip to the United States, quit his post in protest of the FTF's conclusion. He claimed that Lenglen was "perfectly fit" during the match and that, "She was defeated by a player who on that date showed a better brand of tennis."
Lenglen avenged the loss by defeating Mallory 6–2, 6–0 in 35 minutes in the 1922 Wimbledon final, still the fastest major match on record. Lenglen reportedly said to Mallory after the match, "Now, Mrs. Mallory, I have proved to you today what I could have done to you in New York last year," to which Mallory replied, "Mlle. Lenglen, you have done to me today what I did to you in New York last year; you have beaten me." However, Kathleen McKane Godfree
Kathleen McKane Godfree
Kathleen "Kitty" McKane Godfree was a British female tennis and badminton player....
has said that Lenglen denied this exchange. Lenglen claimed that she merely said "thank you" to Mallory and coughed very suggestively behind an uplifted hand. This was to remind Mallory that she - Lenglen - had indeed had whooping cough in their New York match the previous year. The two played for the last time that summer in Nice, France with Lenglen winning 6–0, 6–0. This completed the head-to-head rivalry between the players, with Lenglen winning their first match at the 1921 World Hard Court Championships 6–3, 6–2, after which Mallory said about Lenglen, "She is just the steadiest player that ever was. She just sent back at me whatever I sent at her and waited for me to make a fault. And her returns often enough were harder than the shots I sent up to her."
Mallory won the singles title at the U.S. Championships a record eight times in fifteen attempts, with the last of her titles occurring at age 42 in 1926. Her worst finish there was a quarterfinal loss in 1927 at age 43. In 1926, Mallory hit one of the heights of her career when she came back from 0–4 in the third set of the final against Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Montague Ryan was an American tennis player who was born in Anaheim, California but lived most of her life in the United Kingdom. Ryan won 30 Grand Slam titles. Nineteen of those titles were in women's doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, an all-time record for those two events...
, saving a match point in winning her eighth championship. Her farewell to the U.S. Championships was as a 45-year-old semifinalist in 1929, losing to Helen Wills Moody
Helen Wills Moody
Helen Newington Wills Roark , also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete."-Biography:...
6–0, 6–0. Mallory is the only woman other than Chris Evert
Chris Evert
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. She was the year-ending World No...
to have won the U.S. Championships four consecutive times.
According to Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph 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...
, Mallory was ranked in the world top ten from 1921 (when the rankings began) through 1927, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1921 and 1922. She was ranked in the U.S. top ten 13 consecutive years from 1915 through 1928 (no rankings were issued in 1917) and was top ranked from 1915 through 1922 and in 1926.
Mallory was inducted 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...
in 1958.
Wins (8)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1915 | U.S. Championships |  Hazel Hotchkiss WightmanHazel Hotchkiss Wightman Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman was an American tennis player.-Personal life:Wightman was born in Healdsburg, California and married George Wightman of Boston in 1912. She died in Newton, Massachusetts... |
4–6, 6–2, 6–0 |
| 1916 | U.S. Championships (2) | Louise Hammond Raymond Louise Raymond Louise Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Carol Harrison from May 1998 to April 1999. Louise was the estranged mother of the characters Tiffany and Simon Raymond. She was featured most prominently in a high-profile storyline about adultery, when she... |
6–0, 6–1 |
| 1917 | U.S. Championships (3) | Marion Vanderhoef |
4–6, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1918 | U.S. Championships (4) | Eleanor Goss |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 1920 | U.S. Championships (5) | Marion Zinderstein Jessup |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 1921 | U.S. Championships (6) | Mary Browne Mary Browne Mary Kendall Browne was the first American female professional tennis player, a World No. 1 amateur tennis player, and an amateur golfer... |
4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1922 | U.S. Championships (7) | Helen Wills Moody Helen Wills Moody Helen Newington Wills Roark , also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete."-Biography:... |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 1926 | U.S. Championships (8) | Elizabeth Ryan Elizabeth Ryan Elizabeth Montague Ryan was an American tennis player who was born in Anaheim, California but lived most of her life in the United Kingdom. Ryan won 30 Grand Slam titles. Nineteen of those titles were in women's doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, an all-time record for those two events... |
4–6, 6–4, 9–7 |
Runner-ups (4)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1921 | World Hard Court Championships World Hard Court Championships World Hard Court Championships, frequently considered as the precursor to the French Open was held from 1912 till 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The venue, was the clay courts of the Stade Français in Saint-Cloud, with one exception, namely 1922, when they were held at the Royal Leopold... |
 Suzanne LenglenSuzanne Lenglen Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926... |
6–2, 6–3 |
| 1922 | 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... |
Suzanne Lenglen |
6–2, 6–0 |
| 1923 | U.S. Championships | Helen Wills Moody Helen Wills Moody Helen Newington Wills Roark , also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete."-Biography:... |
6–2, 6–1 |
| 1924 | U.S. Championships | Helen Wills Moody |
6–1, 6–3 |
Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents in final | Score in final |
| 1916 | U.S. Championships | Eleonora Sears |
Louise Hammond Raymond Louise Raymond Louise Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Carol Harrison from May 1998 to April 1999. Louise was the estranged mother of the characters Tiffany and Simon Raymond. She was featured most prominently in a high-profile storyline about adultery, when she... Edna Wildey |
4–6, 6–2, 10–8 |
| 1917 | U.S. Championships | Eleanora Sears |
Phyllis Walsh Mrs. Robert LeRoy |
6–2, 6–4 |
Runner-ups (2)
| Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents in final | Score in final |
| 1918 | U.S. Championships |  Mrs. Johan Rogge |
Eleanor Goss Marion Zinderstein Jessup |
7–5, 8–6 |
| 1922 | U.S. Championships | Edith Sigourney |
Helen Wills Moody Helen Wills Moody Helen Newington Wills Roark , also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete."-Biography:... Marion JessupMarion Jessup Marion Hall Jessup was a female tennis player from the United States. At the 1924 Paris Olympics she won a silver medal in the Mixed doubles event partnering Vincent Richards.... |
6–4, 7–9, 6–3 |
Wins (3)
| Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents in final | Score in final |
| 1917 | U.S. Championships | Irving Wright |
Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... Florence Ballin |
10–12, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1922 | U.S. Championships | Bill Tilden |
Howard Kinsey Howard Kinsey Howard Kinsey was an American tennis player in the 1920s who won a number of championships... Helen Wills MoodyHelen Wills Moody Helen Newington Wills Roark , also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete."-Biography:... |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 1923 | U.S. Championships | Bill Tilden |
 John HawkesJohn Hawkes (tennis) John Hawkes was a former Australian male tennis player.Hawkes won the singles title at the 1926 Australasian Championships.- References :...  Kitty McKane Godfree |
6–3, 2–6, 10–8 |
Runner-ups (5)
| Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents in final | Score in final |
| 1915 | U.S. Championships | Irving Wright |
Harry Johnson Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman was an American tennis player.-Personal life:Wightman was born in Healdsburg, California and married George Wightman of Boston in 1912. She died in Newton, Massachusetts... |
6–0, 6–1 |
| 1918 | U.S. Championships | Fred Alexander Fred Alexander Frederick Beasley Alexander was a top-ranked tennis player in the early 20th century.... |
Irving Wright Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman |
6–2, 6–3 |
| 1920 | U.S. Championships | Craig Biddle |
Wallace Johnson Wallace F. Johnson Wallace F. Johnson of Philadelphia was an outstanding American tennis player in the early 20th Century.Johnson played collegiate tennis at the University of Pennsylvania, where in 1909 he won NCAA championships in both singles and doubles.At the U.S... Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 1921 | U.S. Championships | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... |
Bill Johnston Mary Browne Mary Browne Mary Kendall Browne was the first American female professional tennis player, a World No. 1 amateur tennis player, and an amateur golfer... |
3–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1924 | U.S. Championships | Bill Tilden |
Vincent Richards Vincent Richards Vincent "Vinnie" Richards was a top American tennis player in the early decades of the 20th Century, particularly known as being a superlative volleyer.... Helen Wills MoodyHelen Wills Moody Helen Newington Wills Roark , also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete."-Biography:... |
6–8, 7–5, 6–0 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships Australian Open The 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... |
NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| French Championships1 | R | R | R | A | A | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | A | F | A | A | NH | A | A | A | 2R | A | 0 / 2 |
| 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... |
2R | A | A | A | A | A | NH | NH | NH | NH | A | SF | QF | F | QF | 2R | A | SF | 3R | 1R | 3R | 0 / 10 |
| U.S. Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | W | W | W | W | SF | W | W | W | F | F | SF | W | QF | SF | SF | 8 / 15 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 8 / 27 |
NH = tournament not held.
R = tournament restricted to French nationals.
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.
1Through 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 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.
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...