Thelma Coyne Long
Thelma Dorothy Coyne Long (née Coyne; 14 October 1918 – 13 April 2015) was an Australian tennis player and one of the female players who dominated Australian tennis from the mid-1930s to the 1950s. During her career she won 19 Grand Slam tournament titles. In 2013, Long was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[2]
 Long in 1932 | |
| Full name | Thelma Dorothy Coyne Long |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
| Born | 14 October 1918 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 13 April 2015 (aged 96) Sydney, Australia |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2013 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 7 (1952, Lance Tingay)[1] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1952, 1954) |
| French Open | QF (1951) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1952) |
| US Open | QF (1952) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1958) |
| French Open | F (1958) |
| Wimbledon | F (1957) |
| US Open | SF (1958) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1951, 1952, 1954, 1955) |
| French Open | W (1956) |
| Wimbledon | F (1952) |
| US Open | F (1938, 1952) |
Tennis career
At the Australian Championships, Long won singles titles in 1952 and 1954 and was a singles finalist in 1940, 1951, 1955 and 1956.[3] In women's doubles, she won ten titles with Nancye Wynne Bolton (1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1952) and two titles with Mary Bevis Hawton (1956 and 1958). Long was a women's doubles finalist with Bolton in 1946 and 1950. She won mixed doubles titles in 1951, 1952 and 1955 with George Worthington and in 1954 with Rex Hartwig. She was a mixed doubles finalist in 1948 with Bill Sidwell.
At Wimbledon, Long was a women's doubles finalist in 1957 with Hawton and a mixed doubles finalist in 1952 with Enrique Morea. At the age of 52, Long teamed with Lorraine Coghlan to lose in the first round of women's doubles at Wimbledon in 1971.
At the French Championships, Long was a women's doubles finalist in 1958 with Hawton, won the mixed doubles title in 1956 with Luis Ayala, and was a mixed doubles finalist in 1951 with Mervyn Rose.
At the 1953 tournament in Cincinnati, Long won the singles title (defeating Anita Kanter 7–5, 6–2 in the final) and the women's doubles title with Kanter.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Long was ranked in the world top ten in 1952 and 1954 (no rankings issued from 1940 to 1945), reaching a career high of World No. 7 in those rankings in 1952.[1]
Long became a teaching professional in 1960 and spent many years coaching promising New South Wales junior players. In 1985, her achievements were recognized by Tennis NSW when she was awarded Life Membership of the State Association.
Honours and awards
On 30 August 2000, Long was awarded the Australian Sports Medal. She was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Melbourne Park during the Australian Open on Australia Day in 2002. In 2013, Thelma was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame symbolizing recognition of her extraordinary career.[4]
Personal life
She was born in Sydney, Australia on 14 October 1918, the only child of Tom and Dorrie Coyne and was schooled at the Sydney Girls High School.[5]
On 30 January 1941, she married Maurice Newton Long of Melbourne.[6] The marriage did not continue after the end of the Second World War.
In May 1941, during the Second World War, Long joined the Red Cross as a transport driver and worked in Melbourne. On 19 February 1942, she joined the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) and rose to the rank of captain in April 1944.[7] For her service in the AWAS, she was awarded the War Medal 1939–1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939–1945.
Long worked as a volunteer at the State Library of New South Wales, and she received the Volunteer Service Award in 1999, The Year of the Volunteer.
Grand Slam tournament finals
Singles: 6 (2 wins, 4 losses)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1940 | Australian Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | 7–5, 4–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 1951 | Australian Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | 1–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 1952 | Australian Championships | Grass | Helen Angwin | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 1954 | Australian Championships | Grass | Jenny Staley Hoad | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1955 | Australian Championships | Grass | Beryl Penrose | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1956 | Australian Championships | Grass | Mary Carter | 6–3, 2–6, 7–9 |
Doubles: 16 (12 wins, 4 losses)
Mixed doubles (5 wins, 3 losses)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1938 | U.S. Championships | Grass | John Bromwich |  Alice Marble Don Budge | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1951 | Australian Championships | Grass | George Worthington | Clare Proctor Jack May | 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 |
| Win | 1952 | Australian Championships | Grass | George Worthington | Gwen Thiele Tom Warhurst | 9–7, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1952 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Enrique Morea | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Doris Hart Frank Sedgman | 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1952 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Lew Hoad | Doris Hart Frank Sedgman | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 1954 | Australian Championships | Grass | Rex Hartwig | Beryl Penrose John Bromwich | 4–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 1955 | Australian Championships | Grass | George Worthington | Jenny Staley Lew Hoad | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Win | 1956 | French Championships | Clay |  Luis Ayala | Doris Hart Bob Howe | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | NH |
R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.
| Tournament | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 – 1944 | 1945 | 19461 | 19471 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships | 1R | SF | SF | QF | SF | F | NH | NH | QF | SF | 2R2 | SF | QF | F | W | A | W | F | F | A | 2R | 1R | 2 / 18 | 46–14 | 76.7 |
| French Championships | A | A | A | 2R | A | NH | R | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | A | A | A | A | 3R | A | 3R | A | 0 / 4 | 7–3 | 70.0 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | 3R | A | NH | NH | NH | A | A | A | 4R | 3R | 1R3 | QF | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 4R | A | 0 / 8 | 13–7 | 65.0 |
| U.S. Championships | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | 3R | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | 0 / 4 | 8–4 | 66.7 |
| Win–Loss | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 6–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 6–2 | 4–2 | 7–2 | 11–2 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 6–3 | 0–1 | 7–3 | 0–1 | 2 / 34 | 74–28 | 72.5 |
1 In 1946 and 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.
2,3 Coyne did not play. Her opponent got a walkover.
See also
References
- Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 702. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
- "Thelma Coyne Long inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame". ITF Tennis. 26 January 2013.
- "Thelma Long, 17 Tries, now Champ". Sunday Mail. Brisbane. 27 January 1952. p. 13 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Hall of Famers – Thelma Coyne Long". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
- "Tennis great Thelma Coyne Long's lengthy career included 19 Grand Slams". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 May 2015.
- "Miss Thelma Coyne Married". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 31 January 1941. p. 5 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Australian Tennis Star Is Now A.W.A.S. Lieut". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. 12 September 1942. p. 3 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Thelma Long". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
