Maureen Connolly
Maureen Catherine Connolly , nickname Little Mo (born September 17, 1934 in San Diego , California , † June 21, 1969 in Dallas , Texas ) was an American tennis player .
As a child, Maureen Connolly loved horse riding, but since her mother was unable to pay for the riding lessons, she began playing tennis. Because of her powerful play from the baseline, she won 56 straight games at the age of 14 and became the youngest player to win the US Under-18 Championship the following year.
In 1951 she reached the final of her first appearance at the US Open in Forest Hills , defeating Shirley Fry at the age of 16 and becoming the youngest ever winner of America's premier tournament. Because of her charisma, she became the media darling and one of the most popular people in America. She was honored with the Associated Press Sportsman of the Year award from 1951 to 1953 .
| year | Tennis player | competition |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 |
 Don Budge
|
Men's singles |
| 1951 |
 Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman
|
Men's doubles |
| 1953 |
Maureen Connolly
|
Ladies singles |
| 1960 |
.svg){kind=small} Maria Bueno with various partners |
Ladies doubles |
| 1962 |
Rod Laver
|
Men's singles |
| 1963 |
Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher
|
Mixed |
| 1965 |
Margaret Smith with various partners |
Mixed |
| 1967 |
Owen Davidson with various partners |
Mixed |
| 1969 |
Rod Laver
|
Men's singles |
| 1970 |
Margaret Court
|
Ladies singles |
| 1984 |
 Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver
|
Ladies doubles |
| 1988 |
 Steffi Graf
|
Ladies singles |
| 1998 |
 Martina Hingis with various partners |
Ladies doubles |
Connolly successfully defended her title in 1952 and also won Wimbledon that same year . For 1953 she hired a new coach, the captain of the Australian Davis Cup team Harry Hopman . For the first time she competed in all Grand Slam tournaments and became the first female tennis player in the world to win all Grand Slam tournaments in one year.
In 1954 she won the French Open and Wimbledon. On July 20, 1954, she was hit by a truck while riding and had to end her tennis career at the age of 19.
She was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Tennis and the Hall of Fame for International Women's Sports.
Success in Grand Slam tournaments
- Australian Open - 1 time: Winner 1953
- French Open - 2 times: Winner 1953, 1954
- Wimbledon - 3 times: Winner 1952 , 1953 , 1954
- US Open - 3 times: Winner 1951, 1952, 1953
In 1955, Maureen Connolly married Norman Brinker, a member of the equestrian team that had represented the United States at the 1952 Olympics. They had two children together.
Connolly remained connected to tennis and reported as a correspondent for several US and English newspapers of major US tennis tournaments. In Texas , where she lived with her family, she and her husband founded the “Maureen Connolly Brinker Foundation” to promote young tennis players.
She fell ill with cancer in 1966 and died after a long battle with the disease on June 21, 1969 at the age of only 34 in Dallas.
Filmography
- "Unforgettable: The Little Mo Connolly Story (2003)" , 58 min, documentary and biography, sports, April 24, 2003 (USA)
- "Little Mo" (Youtube, biography of Maureen Connolly, USA 1978, feature film, 2:21 hours)
Web links
- Maureen Connolly in the "International Tennis Hall of Fame" (English; with picture)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Connolly, Maureen |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Connolly, Maureen Catherine (full name); Mo, little |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American tennis player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 17, 1934 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | San Diego , California |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 21, 1969 |
| Place of death | Dallas , Texas |