The Day Mademoiselle Lenglen Lost
Explore Suzanne Lenglen's shocking loss to Molla Mallory at the 1921 U.S. Nationals. A tale of illness, drama, and a surprising upset.
Meet Suzanne Lenglen
France's Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen (1899-1938) was controversial, daring, and dashing. She was athletic, graceful, and a relentless competitor. A dominant champion of France and England, she was referred to by the French press as La Divine (The Goddess).
Meet Molla Mallory
Norwegian-born Anna Margrethe "Molla" Bjurstedt Mallory (1884-1959) had successes in Europe—especially representing Norway at the 1912 Olympic Games—before emigrating to the United States in 1914. Despite arriving to little fanfare, she would make her mark as a great champion.
American Lawn Tennis, Vol. 15, No. 3, Pages 97-152 International Tennis Hall of Fame
Setting the stage
In May 1921, Bill Tilden and Molla Mallory went to France to compete in the World Hard Court Championships. It was hopeful that they would entice Mademoiselle Lenglen to visit the United States.
This was the first on-court meeting between Lenglen and Mallory; Lenglen won.
The American Tour Is booked
To prove she was indeed the world champion
, Lenglen agreed to travel across the Atlantic to compete in North America in the summer of 1921. Lenglen was making her first (and only) amateur competitive appearance in the United States.
Lenglen's New York debut
Arriving in New York three days before the start of the U.S. National Championships, Lenglen’s opening round defaulted. On the second day of the event, she strode confidently onto court to face Mallory, the defending champion, in front of 8,000 spectators.
Postcard featuring an aerial view of the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York International Tennis Hall of Fame
With a decisive defeat of Mallory just a few months prior, Lenglen appeared jovial and moved "about the court gracefully and with lightness of foot." Lenglen's undefeated streak ends unexpectedly. The match against Mallory takes a dramatic turn.
With Mallory up 2-0, 40-0 in the first set, Lenglen began coughing. The coughing continued after each point.
Win by default
Mallory won the first set 6-2. In the first game of the second set, with Lenglen serving, 0-15, and then double-faulting, she walked over to the umpire. In near-tears, she proclaimed she could not breathe and was unable to play. Mallory's only win over Lenglen came via a default.
American Lawn Tennis, Vol. 15, No. 7, pages 301-348 International Tennis Hall of Fame
Suzanne, defeated
Shortly thereafter, Lenglen, under doctor's recommendations to "rest for two to three months," returned to France, cancelling the exhibition tour through the United States that would have raised funds for a devastated post-WWI France.
Postcard, photographic, player, Suzanne Lenglen and Molla Mallory (1920/1925) by Noyer Studio International Tennis Hall of Fame
Their legacies established
Though Lenglen and Mallory would only face off a total of four times in their careers, both women had very impressive championship records garnering them induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Mallory was inducted in 1958 and Lenglen in 1978.
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