Ted Tinling
Encyclopedia
Cuthbert Collingwood "Ted" Tinling (23 June 1910 - 23 May 1990), sometimes known as Teddy Tinling, was an English
tennis
player, fashion designer, spy
and author
. He was a firm fixture on the professional tennis tour for over sixty years.
He was born in Eastbourne
, the son of James Alexander Tinling, a chartered accountant. In 1923, suffering from bronchial asthma
, his parents sent him to the French Riviera
on doctor's orders. It was there he began playing tennis
, particularly at the Nice Tennis Club where the then biggest star of the game, Suzanne Lenglen
, would practice. Despite Tinling's youth, Lenglen's father asked him if he would umpire one of her upcoming matches and he would go on to be her personal umpire for two years in between a short career as a player himself. This friendship with Lenglen led him to his first Wimbledon Championships in 1927, where he became player liaison until 1949. During World War II
, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Intelligence Corps in Algiers
and Germany..
Tinling designed dresses for almost all of the great lady players throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. His dresses were worn by the Wimbledon lady champion in 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978 & 1979, The last Wimbledon champion to wear a Tinling creation was Martina Navratilova in 1979 when she wore his designs to triumph in both the singles and doubles events. In 1983, Billie-Jean King wore a Tinling dress in a final for the last time, when she reached the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles final. The last Tinling dress worn at Wimbledon was by Rosemary Casals
in 1984, when she lost in the first round. Although he only ever designed dresses for Chris Evert
's Federation & Wightman Cup appearances, he designed her wedding dress when she married John Lloyd
in 1979. It was a design in 1949 - lace tennis panties (for Gussie Moran
) - that led him to being asked to take leave from his position at Wimbledon.
A close friend of Billie Jean King
- designing her dress for the famous Battle of the Sexes tennis match in 1973 - he became player liaison on the Virginia Slims
Women's Tennis Association
tour that King helped to create. He continued to design daring and unusual dresses for stars such as Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert
, Evonne Goolagong
and Virginia Wade
throughout this time but his role in the infrastructure of tennis became more important and he became an official media spokesperson for the game. He was employed again by Wimbledon from 1982 as a player liaison.
Tinling was openly
gay
. He wrote several books on tennis in the 1980s but respiratory problems continued to affect him and he died in 1990. After his death it was revealed he had been a British Intelligence spy during World War II. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
in 1986. Tinling's brother James Collingwood Tinling
was a member of the team that built the first jet engine.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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, fashion designer, spy
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He was a firm fixture on the professional tennis tour for over sixty years.
He was born in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, the son of James Alexander Tinling, a chartered accountant. In 1923, suffering from bronchial asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, his parents sent him to the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
on doctor's orders. It was there he began playing 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...
, particularly at the Nice Tennis Club where the then biggest star of the game, Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926...
, would practice. Despite Tinling's youth, Lenglen's father asked him if he would umpire one of her upcoming matches and he would go on to be her personal umpire for two years in between a short career as a player himself. This friendship with Lenglen led him to his first Wimbledon Championships in 1927, where he became player liaison until 1949. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Intelligence Corps in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
and Germany..
Tinling designed dresses for almost all of the great lady players throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. His dresses were worn by the Wimbledon lady champion in 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978 & 1979, The last Wimbledon champion to wear a Tinling creation was Martina Navratilova in 1979 when she wore his designs to triumph in both the singles and doubles events. In 1983, Billie-Jean King wore a Tinling dress in a final for the last time, when she reached the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles final. The last Tinling dress worn at Wimbledon was by Rosemary Casals
Rosemary Casals
Rosemary "Rosie" Casals is a former American professional tennis player.Rosemary Casals earned her reputation as a rebel in the staid tennis world when she began competing in the early 1960s. During a tennis career that spanned more than two decades, she won more than 90 tournaments and worked for...
in 1984, when she lost in the first round. Although he only ever designed dresses for 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...
's Federation & Wightman Cup appearances, he designed her wedding dress when she married John Lloyd
John Lloyd
John Lloyd may refer to:* John Lloyd Co-founder of design consultancy Lloyd Northover* John Lloyd , British tennis player* John Lloyd , former head coach to Wales national rugby union team...
in 1979. It was a design in 1949 - lace tennis panties (for Gussie Moran
Gussie Moran
Gertrude "Gussie" Agusta Moran is a retired American female tennis player who was active in the 1950s...
) - that led him to being asked to take leave from his position at Wimbledon.
A close friend of 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...
- designing her dress for the famous Battle of the Sexes tennis match in 1973 - he became player liaison on the Virginia Slims
Virginia Slims
Virginia Slims is a brand of cigarette manufactured by Altria Group . The brand was introduced in 1968 and marketed to young professional women using the slogan "You've come a long way, baby." Some media watch groups considered this campaign to be responsible for a rapid increase in smoking among...
Women's Tennis Association
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
tour that King helped to create. He continued to design daring and unusual dresses for stars such as Martina Navratilova, 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...
, Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley, AO, MBE is a former World No. 1 Australian female tennis player. She was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s, when she won 14 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles , six in women's doubles, and one in mixed doubles.-Early life:Goolagong is the...
and 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...
throughout this time but his role in the infrastructure of tennis became more important and he became an official media spokesperson for the game. He was employed again by Wimbledon from 1982 as a player liaison.
Tinling was openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. He wrote several books on tennis in the 1980s but respiratory problems continued to affect him and he died in 1990. After his death it was revealed he had been a British Intelligence spy during World War II. He 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 1986. Tinling's brother James Collingwood Tinling
James Collingwood Tinling
James Collingwood Burdett Tinling was an ex-RAF officer who joined with Rolf Dudley-Williams and Frank Whittle in 1936 to set up Power Jets Ltd, which manufactured the world's first working jet engine....
was a member of the team that built the first jet engine.