Elizabeth Ryan

Elizabeth Montague Ryan (February 5, 1892 – July 6, 1979) was an American-British tennis player who was born in Anaheim, California but lived most of her life in the United Kingdom. Ryan won 26 Grand Slam titles, 19 in women's doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, an all-time record for those two events. Twelve of her Wimbledon titles were in women's doubles and seven were in mixed doubles. Ryan also won four women's doubles titles at the French Championships, as well as one women's doubles title and two mixed-doubles titles at the U.S. Championships.

Elizabeth Ryan

Full name	Elizabeth Montague Ryan
Country (sports)	United States and  United Kingdom
Residence	England till death
Born	February 5, 1892 Anaheim, California
Died	July 6, 1979 (aged 87) Wimbledon, England
Int. Tennis HoF	1972 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 3 (1927)
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open	QF (1926, 1930, 1931)
Wimbledon	F (1921, 1930)
US Open	F (1926)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open	W (1930, 1932, 1933, 1934)
Wimbledon	W (1914, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1933, 1934)
US Open	W (1926)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
French Open	F (1934)
Wimbledon	W (1919, 1921, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1932)
US Open	W (1926, 1933)

Career

Although she reached the Wimbledon singles finals twice, Ryan never won the title. Eight of her losses at Wimbledon were to players generally considered to be among the best ever. Ryan had to play Dorothea Lambert Chambers in the all-comers final of 1920; Suzanne Lenglen in the 1919 semifinals (losing 6–4, 7–5), 1921 final, 1922 quarterfinals, 1924 quarterfinals (losing 6–2, 6–8, 6–4), and 1925 second round; and Helen Wills Moody in the 1928 semifinals and 1930 final.

In the 1926 singles final at the U.S. Championships, the 34-year-old Ryan led 42-year-old Molla Bjurstedt Mallory 4–6, 6–4, 4–0 and had a match point at 7–6 in the third set before losing the final three games of the match.[1]

Ryan and her longtime partner Lenglen never lost a women's doubles match at Wimbledon, going 31–0.[1] Only Billie Jean King (224 match wins) and Martina Navratilova won more matches at Wimbledon than Ryan (190 match wins): 47–15 in singles, 73–4 in women's doubles, and 70–9 in mixed doubles.[1]

The longtime tennis writer Ted Tinling has credited Ryan with inventing the volleying style later perfected by players such as Sarah Palfrey Cooke, Alice Marble, Louise Brough Clapp, Margaret Osborne duPont, Doris Hart, Darlene Hard, Margaret Court, Navratilova, and King. "Before World War I, women's tennis consisted primary of slogging duels from the baseline. There were a few volleying pioneers, notably ... Hazel [Hotchkiss] Wightman and Ethel [Thomson] Larcombe, but volleying as a fundamental, aggressive technique was first injected into the women's game by ... Ryan."[2] Tinling, however, also said about Ryan, "Elizabeth wasn't fast enough for singles. Too heavy."[3]

According to Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Ryan was ranked in the world top ten from 1921 (when the rankings began) through 1928 and again in 1930, reaching a career high of world No. 3 in those rankings in 1927.[4] Ryan was ranked second behind Mallory in the year-end rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association for 1925 and 1926.[5]

Ryan died on July 6, 1979, at age 87, on the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon, following the ladies singes final and the day before Billie Jean King broke her record number of Wimbledon wins by winning her 20th title.[6][7][8] When tennis writer and television commentator Bud Collins tried to arrange for Ryan and King to film an interview together at Wimbledon in 1979, Ryan refused.[3] King said, "I always liked seeing Miss Ryan at Wimbledon, and I'd try to be friendly, but she didn't seem to want it. For me, it wasn't personal. Sure, I wanted the record, but I wasn't trying to steal a possession of hers."[9] King also said, "[T]here is no doubt in my mind that she just didn't want to be alive to see her record broken. She was [87], she had held it for a long, long time and she wanted it for herself. But records are there to be broken."[10]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 3 (3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1921	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	2–6, 0–6
Loss	1926	U.S. Championships	Grass	Molla Mallory	6–4, 4–6, 7–9
Loss	1930	Wimbledon	Grass	Helen Wills	2–6, 2–6

Women's doubles: 21 (17 titles, 4 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1914	Wimbledon	Grass	Agnes Morton	Edith Hannam Ethel Thomson Larcombe	6–1, 6–3
Win	1919	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Dorothea Lambert Chambers Ethel Thomson Larcombe	4–6, 7–5, 6–3
Win	1920	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Dorothea Lambert Chambers Ethel Thomson Larcombe	6–4, 6–0
Win	1921	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Geraldine Beamish Irene Bowder Peacock	6–1, 6–2
Win	1922	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Kathleen McKane Godfree Margaret McKane Stocks	6–0, 6–4
Win	1923	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Joan Austin Evelyn Colyer	6–3, 6–1
Win	1925	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Kathleen Lidderdale Mary McIlquham	6–2, 6–2
Loss	1925	U.S. Championships	Grass	May Sutton	Mary Browne Helen Wills	4–6, 3–6
Win	1926	Wimbledon	Grass	Mary Browne	Evelyn Colyer Kathleen McKane Godfree	6–1, 6–1
Win	1926	U.S. Championships	Grass	Eleanor Goss	Mary Browne Charlotte Chapin	3–6, 6–4, 12–10
Win	1927	Wimbledon	Grass	Helen Wills	Bobbie Heine Irene Bowder Peacock	6–3, 6–2
Win	1930	French Championships	Clay	Helen Wills	Simone Barbier Simonne Mathieu	6–3, 6–1
Win	1930	Wimbledon	Grass	Helen Wills	Edith Cross Sarah Palfrey	6–2, 9–7
Loss	1931	French Championships	Clay	Cilly Aussem	Eileen Bennett Whittingstall Betty Nuthall	7–9, 2–6
Win	1932	French Championships	Clay	Helen Wills	Eileen Bennett Whittingstall Betty Nuthall	6–1, 6–3
Loss	1932	Wimbledon	Grass	Helen Jacobs	Doris Metaxa Josane Sigart	4–6, 3–6
Win	1933	French Championships	Clay	Simonne Mathieu	Sylvie Jung Henrotin Colette Rosambert	6–1, 6–3
Win	1933	Wimbledon	Grass	Simonne Mathieu	Freda James Billie Yorke	6–2, 9–11, 6–4
Loss	1933	U.S. Championships	Grass	Helen Wills	Freda James Betty Nuthall	default
Win	1934	French Championships	Clay	Simonne Mathieu	Helen Jacobs Sarah Palfrey	3–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win	1934	Wimbledon	Grass	Simonne Mathieu	Dorothy Andrus Sylvie Jung Henrotin	6–3, 6–3

Mixed doubles: 14 (9 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1919	Wimbledon	Grass	Randolph Lycett	Dorothea Chambers Albertem Prebble	6–0, 6–0
Loss	1920	Wimbledon	Grass	Randolph Lycett	Suzanne Lenglen Gerald Patterson	5–7, 3–6
Win	1921	Wimbledon	Grass	Randolph Lycett	Phyllis Howkins Max Woosnam	6–3, 6–1
Loss	1922	Wimbledon	Grass	Randolph Lycett	Suzanne Lenglen Pat O'Hara Wood	4–6, 3–6
Win	1923	Wimbledon	Grass	Randolph Lycett	Dorothy Shepherd-Barron Lewis Deane	6–4, 7–5
Loss	1925	Wimbledon	Grass	Umberto de Morpurgo	Suzanne Lenglen Jean Borotra	3–6, 3–6
Win	1926	U.S. Championships	Grass	Jean Borotra	Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman René Lacoste	6–4, 7–5
Win	1927	Wimbledon	Grass	Frank Hunter	Kathleen McKane Godfree Leslie Godfree	8–6, 6–0
Win	1928	Wimbledon	Grass	Patrick Spence	Daphne Akhurst Jack Crawford	7–5, 6–4
Win	1930	Wimbledon	Grass	Jack Crawford	Hilde Krahwinkel Daniel Prenn	6–1, 6–3
Win	1932	Wimbledon	Grass	Enrique Maier	Josane Sigart Harry Hopman	7–5, 6–2
Win	1933	U.S. Championships	Grass	Ellsworth Vines	Sarah Palfrey George Lott	11–9, 6–1
Loss	1934	French Championships	Clay	Adrian Quist	Colette Rosambert Jean Borotra	2–6, 4–6
Loss	1934	U.S. Championships	Grass	Lester Stoefen	Helen Jacobs George Lott	6–4, 11–13, 2–6

Grand Slam tournament timelines

Key

W

F

SF

QF

#R

RR

Q#

A

NH

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

Singles

Tournament	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	Career SR
Australian Open	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 0
French Championships [lower-alpha 1]	A	A	A	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	A	NH	A	QF	A	A	A	QF	QF	1R	1R	1R	0 / 7
Wimbledon	QF	1R	ACF	NH	NH	NH	NH	SF	ACF	F	QF	SF	QF	2R	3R	SF	SF	3R	F	A	1R^1	A	A	0 / 16
U.S. Championships	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	QF	F	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	QF	0 / 3
SR	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 3	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 26

ACF = All comers final, with the winner to play the defending champion.

¹ Ryan did not play. Her opponent got a walkover.

Women's doubles

Tournament	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	Career SR
Australian Open	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 0
French Championships [lower-alpha 1]	A	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	NH	A	NH	A	SF	A	A	A	W	F	W	W	W	4 / 6
Wimbledon	NH	2R	W	NH	NH	NH	NH	W	W	W	W	W	QF	W	W	W	SF	SF	W	A	F	W	W	12 / 16
U.S. Championships	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	F	W	A	A	A	A	A	A	F	SF	1 / 4
SR	0 / 0	0 / 0	1 / 1	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	1 / 1	1 / 1	1 / 1	1 / 1	1 / 1	0 / 1	1 / 2	2 / 3	1 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	2 / 2	0 / 1	1 / 2	2 / 3	2 / 3	17 / 26

Mixed doubles

Tournament	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	Career SR
Australian Open	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 0
French Championships [lower-alpha 1]	A	A	A	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	?	?	?	?	NH	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	F	0 / 1
Wimbledon	NH	?	?	NH	NH	NH	NH	W	F	W	F	W	2R	F	SF	W	W	SF	W	A	W	QF	QF	7 / 15
U.S. Championships	?	A	A	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	W	?	?	?	?	?	?	W	F	2 / 3
SR	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	1 / 1	0 / 1	1 / 1	0 / 1	1 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	1 / 2	1 / 1	1 / 1	0 / 1	1 / 1	0 / 0	1 / 1	1 / 2	0 / 3	9 / 19

See also

• Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam or Olympic singles final

Notes

1. Through 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.

References

1. Bud Collins (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. p. 618. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
2. Ted Tinling (1980). John Gilchrist Barrett (ed.). "World of Tennis 1980: A BP Yearbook - The King-Ryan Connection". London: Queen Ann Press: 56. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. Bud Collins (1989). My Life With the Pros. New York Ciry: E.P. Dutton. p. 261. ISBN 0-525-24659-2.
4. Bud Collins (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York City: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 701. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
5. United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc. p. 260.
6. Will Grimsley (July 8, 1979). "King's Rejoicing Subdued Following 20th Wimbledon Title". Ocala Star-Banner. Associated Press. p. 1C – via Google News Archive.
7. "Ryan Dies at Wimbledon". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. July 7, 1979. p. 12 – via Google News Archive.
8. John Barrett, ed. (1980). World of Tennis 1980: a BP yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 43, 376. ISBN 9780362020120. OCLC 237184610.
9. Collins, Bud (1989). My Life With the Pros. New York: E.P. Dutton. pp. 259–60. ISBN 0-525-24659-2.
10. Brace, Reginald; King, Billie Jean (1981). Play Better Tennis: With Billie Jean King and Reginald Brace. Octopus. p. 21. ISBN 0-7064-1223-0.

External links

• Elizabeth Ryan at the International Tennis Hall of Fame