Dorothy Cheney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Bundy Cheney

Bundy in 1929
Full name	Dorothy May Sutton Bundy Cheney
Country (sports)	United States
Born	(1916-09-01)September 1, 1916 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	November 23, 2014(2014-11-23) (aged 98) Escondido, California, U.S.
Int. Tennis HoF	2004 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	World No. 6 (1946, John Olliff)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1938)
French Open	SF (1946)
Wimbledon	SF (1946)
US Open	SF (1937, 1938, 1943, 1944)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	F (1938)
US Open	F (1940, 1941)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	F (1946)
Wimbledon	F (1946)
US Open	F (1940, 1944)

Dorothy "Dodo" May Sutton Bundy Cheney (born September 1, 1916 – died November 23, 2014) was an amazing American tennis player. She played tennis from when she was young all the way into her 90s! In 1938, Dorothy made history. She was the first American woman to win the singles title at the Australian National Championships. She beat Dorothy Stevenson in the final match.

Who was Dorothy Bundy Cheney?

Dorothy was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were also famous tennis players. Her mother, May Sutton Bundy, is in the Tennis Hall of Fame. Her father, Tom Bundy, was a U.S. men's doubles champion. Dorothy was also the grandmother of Danny Putnam, who played Major League Baseball. She passed away in Escondido, California when she was 98 years old.

Dorothy's Tennis Journey

Dorothy Bundy Cheney was a top tennis player in the world. Experts like A. Wallis Myers and John Olliff ranked her among the top 10 players globally in 1937 and 1946. Her highest rank was sixth in 1946.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) also ranked her among the top ten U.S. players many times. She was ranked third in the U.S. in 1937, 1938, and 1941.

Dorothy was a key member of the U.S. Wightman Cup teams that won in 1937, 1938, and 1939. The Wightman Cup was a team tennis competition between the United States and Great Britain.

In 2004, Dorothy was honored for her amazing career. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Even at 51 years old, she was still playing in big tournaments! In 1967, she beat a top-ranked player, Karen Krantzcke, at the Pacific Southwest Championships.

Grand Slam Successes

Dorothy had a great record in Grand Slam tournaments. These are the four biggest tennis events each year: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open.

Her biggest win was at the Australian Championships in 1938. She won the singles title, becoming the first American woman to do so. She also reached the semifinals (top 4) at the French Open and Wimbledon in 1946. At the U.S. Open, she reached the semifinals four times (1937, 1938, 1943, 1944).

She also played well in doubles. She was a runner-up (finished second) in women's doubles at the 1938 Australian Championships and the U.S. National Championships in 1940 and 1941. In mixed doubles (a team of one man and one woman), she was a runner-up four times.

Winning Other Tournaments

Dorothy won many other tennis tournaments throughout her career. For example, she won the singles title at the 1944 Tri-Cities Championships in Cincinnati. She also won the women's doubles title there in 1944 and 1945.

By the end of her career playing in different age groups, Dorothy had won a record-breaking 394 USTA titles! This shows how long and how well she played tennis.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles (1 title)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1938	Australian Championships	Grass	Dorothy Stevenson	6–3, 6–2

Doubles (3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1938	Australian Championships	Grass	Dorothy Workman	Nancye Wynne Bolton Thelma Coyne Long	7–9, 4–6
Loss	1940	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Marjorie Gladman Van Ryn	Alice Marble Sarah Palfrey Cooke	3–6, 7–9
Loss	1941	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Pauline Betz	Margaret Osborne duPont Sarah Palfrey Cooke	6–3, 1–6, 4–6

Mixed doubles (4 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1940	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Jack Kramer	Alice Marble Bobby Riggs	7–9, 1–6
Loss	1944	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Don McNeill	Margaret Osborne duPont Bill Talbert	2–6, 3–6
Loss	1946	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Geoff Brown	Louise Brough Thomas Brown, Jr.	4–6, 4–6
Loss	1946	French Championships	Clay	Thomas Brown, Jr	Pauline Betz Budge Patty	5–7, 7–9

Images for kids

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  Dorothy Bundy in 1929