- Born:
- September 28, 1913, Plumes county, California, U.S.
- Died:
- December 13, 1990, Palm Springs, California (aged 77)
Alice Marble
-
Who was Alice Marble?
Alice Marble (1913-1990) was an American tennis player celebrated for her powerful serves and volleys. Overcoming an assault at age 15, she channeled her emotions and focus into tennis. With coach Eleanor Tennant, Marble refined her game, adopting an Eastern grip that complemented her aggressive serve-and-volley style, and shocked the tennis world by wearing shorts instead of a skirt. After being diagnosed with tuberculosis and pleurisy, she recovered to win four U.S. singles (U.S. Open) titles (1936, 1938â40) and one Wimbledon singles title (1939). In 1939, she achieved the Triple Crown at Wimbledon. Marble also contributed to the sport through speaking engagements, designing tennis apparel, coaching, and even serving as a spy for the U.S. Army Intelligence during World War II.
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What sport did Alice Marble play?
Alice Marble was an American tennis player, known for her powerful serves and volleys, who dominated the womenâs game during the late 1930s. Marble's older brother introduced her to tennis in the hopes of diverting her to a "less masculine" sport. Her early pitching practice lent itself to a powerful tennis serve, and her excellent hand-to-eye coordination and speed gave her an exceptional game at the net. She won four U.S. singles (known as the U.S. Open from 1968) titles (1936, 1938â40) and one Wimbledon singles title (1939). In 1964, Marble was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
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What major tennis titles did Alice Marble win?
Alice Marble was an American tennis player who dominated women's tennis in the late 1930s. She won four U.S. Open singles titles (1936, 1938â40) and one Wimbledon singles title (1939). In 1939, she was the first woman of the century to win the Triple Crown at Wimbledon, securing the mixed doubles with Bobby Riggs, the womenâs doubles with Sarah Palfrey, and the womenâs singles titles, all in the same tournament. In total, Marble won 12 U.S. Open and 5 Wimbledon titles, including both singles and doubles championships.
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How did Alice Marble impact womenâs tennis?
Alice Marble significantly impacted women's tennis through her aggressive serve-and-volley style, which revolutionized the game Alice Marble. Marble's powerful serves, a result of early baseball training, combined with her speed and hand-to-eye coordination, made her exceptional at the net. Defying norms, she favored shorts over skirts, further challenging traditional tennis attire. Her success on the court, including multiple U.S. Open and Wimbledon titles, inspired many. Marble also coached rising stars like Billie Jean King, passing on her pioneering techniques and aggressive playing style.
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What challenges did Alice Marble face during her career?
Alice Marble, a dominant force in women's tennis during the late 1930s, faced numerous challenges throughout her career. At 15, she was raped, causing long-lasting emotional trauma, though she channeled the experience into mental toughness on the court. In 1934, during her first trip abroad, she collapsed and was diagnosed with tuberculosis and pleurisy, and was initially told she would never play tennis again. Her tournament play was cut short by World War II. In 1944, days after a car accident and miscarriage, she learned of her husband's death in action. Marble later recovered from a suicide attempt and participated in a dangerous espionage plot for U.S. Army Intelligence in 1945.
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How is Alice Marble remembered in the tennis world today?
Alice Marble is remembered as an American tennis player who dominated the game in the late 1930s with her powerful serves and volleys. Marble's aggressive serve-and-volley style and preference for wearing shorts shocked the tennis world. In 1939, she achieved the Triple Crown at Wimbledon, winning the mixed doubles, womenâs doubles, and womenâs singles titles in the same tournament. She won 12 U.S. Open and 5 Wimbledon titles overall. Marble also coached promising new players, including Billie Jean King, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Alice Marble (born September 28, 1913, Plumes county, California, U.S.âdied December 13, 1990, Palm Springs, California) was an American tennis player, known for her powerful serves and volleys, who dominated the womenâs game during the late 1930s.
Marble was introduced to baseball by an uncle and resolved to become a professional baseball player. Marbleâs older brother introduced her to tennis in the hopes of diverting her to a âless masculineâ sport. She played the game aggressively and pioneered the womenâs serve-and-volley style of play (wherein a player rushes up toward the net after a serve). Her early pitching practice lent itself to a powerful tennis serve, and her excellent hand-to-eye coordination and speed gave her an exceptional game at the net.
At age 15 Marble was raped, and, though her physical recovery was rapid, she suffered emotionally for many years. She came to believe that the attack contributed to her mental toughness and made her focus even more intently on tennis as a source of self-esteem.
Only three years after her introduction to tennis and still without a coach, Marble traveled to Forest Hills, New York, as northern Californiaâs junior champion. In 1932 she started working with the woman who would be her career-long coach, manager, mentor, and principal supporter, Eleanor Tennant. Under Tennantâs tutelage Marble changed from a Western grip to an Eastern oneâa 90° rotation of the hand around the racketâs handle and a vital factor for success on a grass court. Her aggressive serve-and-volley game and her preference for wearing shorts instead of a skirt shocked the tennis world.
On her first trip abroad in 1934, Marble collapsed during a match in Paris and was diagnosed with tuberculosis and pleurisy. She was told she would never play tennis again; however, she recovered fully and returned to competition. Thereafter she was almost invincible, winning four U.S. singles (known as the U.S. Open from 1968) titles (1936, 1938â40) and one Wimbledon singles title (1939). During Wightman Cup play from 1936 to 1940, she lost only one match in singles and in doubles. In 1939 she became the first woman of the century to win the Triple Crown at Wimbledonâthe mixed doubles with Bobby Riggs, the womenâs doubles with Sarah Palfrey, and the womenâs singles titles, all in the same tournament.
Soon Marbleâs fame brought speaking engagements. She performed briefly as a professional singer at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and did some radio sportscasting. She also designed a line of womenâs tennis apparel. Marble turned professional in 1940 just as the nation prepared for World War II. She gave exhibition tours and clinics around the country and at many military bases. In 1942 she married a soldier she met on one of her tours. Days after a car accident in 1944 in which she miscarried, she learned that her husbandâs plane had been shot down and he had not survived.
Upon recovering from an unsuccessful suicide attempt, Marble agreed to participate in an espionage plot for the U.S. Army Intelligence. In 1945 she traveled to Switzerland to investigate financial ledgers of an ex-lover who was a Swiss investment banker harbouring Nazi wealth during the war. She was nearly killed on the mission.
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Marbleâs tournament play was cut short by World War II, but she continued to play in exhibition matches, hold clinics, and give lectures. She also coached promising new players, including another serve-and-volley player, Billie Jean King. She was the winner of 12 U.S. Open and 5 Wimbledon titles (including both singles and doubles championships). She wrote the autobiographies The Road to Wimbledon (1946) and Courting Danger (1991; cowritten with Dale Leatherman), the latter of which detailed her time spent as a spy for the U.S. government during World War II. In 1964 Marble was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.