Louise Brough facts for kids
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Louise Brough in 1948
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| Full name | Althea Louise Brough |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | March 11, 1923 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Died | February 3, 2014 (aged 90) Vista, California |
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Retired | 1959 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1967 (member page) (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1955, Lance Tingay) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1950) |
| French Open | SF (1946, 1947, 1950) |
| Wimbledon | W (1948, 1949, 1950, 1955) |
| US Open | W (1947) |
| Doubles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1946) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1950) |
| French Open | W (1946, 1947, 1949) |
| Wimbledon | W (1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1954) |
| US Open | W (1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1957) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1946, 1947, 1948, 1950) |
| US Open | W (1942, 1947, 1948, 1949) |
| Team competitions | |
| Wightman Cup | W (1946, 1947, 1948, 1950) |
Althea Louise Brough Clapp (born March 11, 1923 – died February 3, 2014) was an amazing American tennis player. She played tennis from 1939 to 1959. During her career, she won six major singles titles, called Grand Slams. She also won many titles in doubles and mixed doubles. In 1955, she was even ranked the world's No. 1 female tennis player!
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About Louise Brough
Louise Brough was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1923. When she was four years old, her family moved to Beverly Hills, California. She learned to play tennis on public courts at Roxbury Park. Her coach was Dick Skeen. In 1940 and 1941, she won the U.S. Girls' Championships. This showed she was a rising star in tennis.
Doubles Success
Louise Brough was incredibly good at women's doubles. She always reached at least the quarterfinals in the 32 Grand Slam tournaments she played. She made it to the semifinals 29 times and the finals 28 times!
She often played with her good friend Margaret Osborne duPont. They won their first U.S. doubles title together in 1942. This was the start of an amazing streak. They won nine U.S. doubles titles in a row! This is the longest winning streak in history for any event at a Grand Slam tournament.
Their streak ended because Margaret Osborne duPont was injured in 1951. In 1953, their winning streak at the U.S. Nationals reached 42 matches. But then they lost to Doris Hart and Shirley Fry in a very close final.
Overall, Louise and Margaret had an incredible record together. At the U.S. National Championships, they won 12 out of 14 times they played. They lost only 12 sets in 60 matches! At Wimbledon, they won five titles. At the French International Championships, they won three titles. Together, they won 20 titles out of 25 attempts at these three major tournaments.
Singles Achievements
Louise Brough won the U.S. singles title in 1947. She had been the runner-up in 1942 and 1943. Even though she reached three more singles finals, this was her only U.S. singles title. She came very close to winning more. For example, in 1948, she had a chance to win against duPont. In 1954, she had three chances to win against Doris Hart.
At Wimbledon, Louise Brough was a true champion. She won three singles titles in a row from 1948 to 1950. Her fourth and last Wimbledon title came in 1955. From 1946 to 1955, she played in seven Wimbledon singles finals. She also played in 21 of the 30 finals at Wimbledon during those ten years. This includes singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
In 1946, she won a "double" at Wimbledon. This means she won both the women's doubles and the mixed doubles titles. Her mixed doubles partner was Tom Brown. In 1948 and 1950, she achieved the rare "triple" at Wimbledon. This means she won the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles all in the same year! In 1949, she won another "double" at Wimbledon. She won the singles and women's doubles titles that year.
Other Major Tournaments
Louise Brough played in the Australian National Championships only once, in 1950. She won both the singles and women's doubles titles there.
She played the French International Championships four times. Her best result in singles was reaching the semifinals. The slow clay courts in Paris were not the best for her attacking style of play. However, she still won women's doubles titles there in 1946, 1947, and 1949.
In 1950, Louise Brough almost won a "calendar year Grand Slam" in women's doubles. This means winning all four major tournaments in one year. She won the Australian Championships with Doris Hart. She also won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships with Margaret Osborne duPont. But at the French International Championships, she and Osborne duPont lost in the final. This was her first loss in a Grand Slam women's doubles match since 1947.
Career Highlights
In total, Louise Brough won 17 titles at the U.S. National Championships. She won 13 titles at Wimbledon. She also won three titles at the French International Championships and two titles at the Australian National Championships. Her 35 Grand Slam titles tie her for fifth place on the all-time list! Only Margaret Smith Court, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, and Margaret Osborne duPont have won more.
Tennis experts ranked Louise Brough in the world's top 10 from 1946 to 1957. She reached her highest rank of world No. 1 in 1955. She was also the top-ranked U.S. player in 1947. She spent 16 years in the U.S. top 10. Only Billie Jean King and Chris Evert were in the top 10 for more years.
Playing Style
Bud Collins, a famous tennis writer, said Louise Brough was one of the best volleyers ever. Volleying is hitting the ball before it bounces. He described her as "quiet but the killer" on the court. Besides her strong volleys, she had a powerful backhand. She also had a special serve called an "American twist serve." This serve made the ball bounce very high. Alice Marble, another tennis legend, said women found it very hard to return this serve.
Later Life and Legacy
Louise Brough married dentist Dr. Alan Clapp in 1958. After retiring from tennis, she taught junior tennis players in California for 20 years. In 1967, she was honored by being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She sometimes played in local tournaments and senior events. She won doubles titles at the U.S. Hard Court Senior Championships in 1971 and 1975.
Her husband passed away in 1999. Louise Brough died at her home in Vista, California, on February 3, 2014. She was 90 years old. She left one of her Wimbledon trophies to her old high school, Beverly Hills High School.
See also
In Spanish: Louise Brough para niños
- Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final
