Dorothy Round Autograph

Profession:
(1909-1982) British tennis player who was active from the late 1920s until 1950. She achieved her major successes in the 1930s.

Year of Birth:

Dorothy Edith Round was one of the most successful British tennis players of her time. She was born on April 18, 1908 in Dorset, England and grew up in London. She was the daughter of Charles and Edith Round, who were both avid tennis players. Round was first introduced to the sport at the age of four when her parents took her to watch a match at the local tennis club. She was immediately entranced and soon began to take lessons.

At the age of 14, Round began to compete in local tournaments and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. She won her first singles title in 1925 at the age of 17 and was soon winning tournaments all over England. By 1930, she was ranked third in the world and had won more than 30 tournaments.

Round's biggest success came at the 1934 Wimbledon Championships where she won both the singles and doubles titles. She defeated Britain's top-ranked player, Helen Wills Moody, in a three-set final to take the singles title and partnered with her compatriot, Kay Stammers, to take the doubles. Following her success at Wimbledon, Round was invited to play in the first ever professional tennis tournament in the United States, the U.S. Pro Championships. She reached the semifinals before being defeated by Moody.

Round continued to be successful throughout the 1930s, winning several tournaments in England and Europe. She was also a member of the British Federation Cup team and won the French Open in 1937. She was the first British player to win the French Open and made history by becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam tournament.

In 1938, Round retired from professional tennis and married a car designer, Leslie Godfree. The couple had two children and Round devoted her time to raising her family. She returned to the game in 1950 as a coach and was a fixture at Wimbledon until her death in 1982.

Round's legacy lives on in the game of tennis. She is remembered as one of the greatest British players of all time and her contributions to the sport are still recognized today. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979 and is remembered as an inspiring role model for female athletes.