Lilí Álvarez facts for kids
Lilí Álvarez at the 1926 Wimbledon Championships ladies final
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| Full name | Elia Maria González-Álvarez y López-Chicheri |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | Spain (−1936) France (1936–) |
| Born | 9 May 1905 Rome, Italy |
| Died | 8 July 1998 (aged 93) Madrid, Spain |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 2 (1927, A. Wallis Myers) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | SF (1930, 1931, 1936, 1937) |
| Wimbledon | F (1926, 1927, 1928) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1929) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1937) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | F (1927) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1926, 1936) |
Elia Maria González-Álvarez y López-Chicheri, known as Lilí Álvarez, was a Spanish sports star. Born on May 9, 1905, she became famous as an international tennis champion. But she was much more than just an athlete! Lilí was also an author, a journalist, and a strong supporter of women's rights. She was a true pioneer for women in sports and society.
Lilí Álvarez's Amazing Life
Lilí Álvarez was born in Rome, Italy. Her wealthy Spanish parents were staying at the Hotel Flora at the time. She grew up in Switzerland and started competing in many different sports from a very young age.
Lilí showed incredible talent in many areas.
- At age 11, she won her first ice skating competition.
- At 16, she won the St. Moritz ice skating championship.
- She won her first tennis tournament when she was just 14 years old.
- She was also an amazing alpine skier, horseback rider, and even a race car driver! At 19, she won the Catalonia Automobile Championship.
Lilí Álvarez was a trailblazer in women's tennis in Spain. She was the best player from her country during the 1920s. She reached the singles finals at Wimbledon three times in a row, from 1926 to 1928. An American tennis legend, Helen Wills Moody, who beat Lilí twice in those finals, said Lilí's playing style was "unusually daring." Lilí also competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
In 1929, Lilí teamed up with Dutch player Kea Bouman. Together, they won the women's doubles title at the French Championships. The next year, Lilí won the singles title at the Italian Championships. No other Spanish woman won this title for 63 years, until Conchita Martínez did in 1993. Lilí and Bill Tilden were also runners-up in the mixed doubles at the 1927 French Championships.
Beyond sports, Lilí was a talented writer. In 1927, she wrote a book in English called Modern Lawn Tennis.
In 1931, Lilí surprised everyone at Wimbledon. She played in a special "divided tennis skirt" designed by Elsa Schiaparelli. This was a very early version of shorts in tennis and was quite shocking for the time! That same year, Lilí started reporting on political events in Spain for the British newspaper Daily Mail.
According to A. Wallis Myers, a famous tennis writer, Lilí Álvarez was ranked among the world's top 10 players from 1926 to 1928, and again in 1930 and 1931. She reached her highest ranking of World No. 2 in 1927 and 1928.
In 1934, Lilí married Jean de Gaillard de la Valdène, a French diplomat. For three years, she played tennis as "Countess Valdène." After some personal difficulties, she returned to Spain in 1941. There, she continued to be involved in sports and started writing about religious and feminist topics. She published her book Plenitud (Fullness) in 1946. She was a strong supporter of the worldwide feminist movement. In 1951, she gave an important speech called "La batalla de la feminidad" (The Battle of Femininity). She wrote several more books over the years.
In 1993, Lilí was asked about modern Spanish tennis. She believed in a bold and attacking playing style. She was disappointed that some players didn't play on fast courts, saying champions couldn't be made on clay courts alone. She was very excited about Conchita Martínez's success at Wimbledon, seeing her as a true champion.
Lilí Álvarez passed away in Madrid in 1998. She left behind a legacy as a remarkable athlete, writer, and advocate for women's rights.
See also
- In Spanish: Lilí Álvarez para niños
