May Sutton facts for kids
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| Full name | May Godfrey Sutton Bundy |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | September 25, 1886 Plymouth, England |
| Died | October 4, 1975 (aged 89) Santa Monica, California |
| Height | 5 ft 4.5 in (1.64 m) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1956 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 2R (1929) |
| Wimbledon | W (1905, 1907) |
| US Open | W (1904) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| US Open | W (1904) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1904) |
May Godfrey Sutton (born September 25, 1886 – died October 4, 1975) was an American tennis star. She played tennis in the early 1900s. When she was 17, she won the singles title at the U.S. National Championships. In 1905, she made history. May became the first American player to win the singles title at Wimbledon.
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May Sutton's Early Life and Family
May Sutton was born in Plymouth, England, on September 25, 1886. She was the youngest of seven children. Her father, Adolphus DeGrouchy Sutton, was a captain in the Royal Navy. When May was six years old, her family moved. They settled on a ranch near Pasadena, California.
Her father built a tennis court there. May and her sisters learned to play tennis on this court. May and her sisters, Violet, Florence, and Ethel, were very good. They became top players in California tennis.
The Sutton sisters were also great basketball players. May, Florence, and Violet played for Pasadena High School. Their team had a perfect season in 1900.
Becoming a Tennis Champion
In 1904, May Sutton was 17 years old. She played in the U.S. Championships for the first time. She won the singles title on her first try. She also won the women's doubles title with Miriam Hall. May almost won the mixed doubles too, reaching the final.
In May 1905, May Sutton traveled to England. She went there to play in the Wimbledon Championships. Before Wimbledon, she won the Northern Championships in Manchester. She beat Hilda Lane in the final.
May Sutton then made history at Wimbledon. She became the first American woman to win the singles title. She was also the first non-British woman to win it. She beat the British star Dorothea Douglass Chambers. Chambers had won Wimbledon twice before.
May surprised the British crowd. She rolled up her sleeves to show her elbows. She also wore a skirt that showed her ankles. This was unusual for the time. May and Chambers played in the Wimbledon final for the next two years. Chambers won in 1906, and May won again in 1907.
Life After Wimbledon
In 1908, May Sutton was chosen as the Rose Parade Queen in Pasadena.
On December 11, 1912, she married Tom Bundy. Tom was also a tennis player. He had won the men's doubles title at the U.S. Championships three times. After getting married, May mostly stopped playing tennis. She focused on raising her family.
However, May made a comeback in 1921. She was 35 years old. She became the fourth-ranked player in the U.S. In 1925, she reached the women's doubles final at the U.S. Championships. Even though she was almost 40, she was still a strong player. She was chosen for America's Wightman Cup team.
May also won the women's singles at the Ojai Tennis Tournament in 1922 and 1923. In 1929, at age 42, she played at Wimbledon again. It was her first time there since 1907. She reached the quarterfinals.
May and her daughter, Dorothy Cheney, made history together. In 1928 and 1929, they were the only mother-daughter pair to be ranked at the U.S. Championships. May's nephew, John Doeg, won the U.S. Championships in 1930. In 1938, her daughter Dorothy won the Australian Championships.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1956, May Sutton was honored. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She loved tennis and never stopped playing. She continued to play regularly even into her late 80s.
May Sutton passed away from cancer on October 4, 1975. She died in Santa Monica, California. She was buried in the local Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery.
May Sutton's Playing Style
May Sutton was known for her powerful tennis game. Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, who won the U.S. National Championship eight times, said May was the best player she ever met.
May's "drive" (a type of shot) was very fast. It was also hard to hit back. The ball would drop suddenly and then bounce high with strange spins. When May kept her shots close to the baseline, it made her opponents move back. This often forced them to make mistakes. She was also strong when she hit the ball overhead at the net. May had more power than any other woman tennis player of her time.
She used an unusual grip called an "extreme Western grip." This helped her hit a powerful forehand shot. Her forehand had a lot of "topspin," which made the ball dip and then bounce very high.
Grand Slam Finals Overview
May Sutton played in several major tennis finals. These tournaments are now called Grand Slams.
Singles Titles and Runner-up
May won three singles titles and was a runner-up once.
- 1904 U.S. Championships: Winner against Elisabeth Moore (6–1, 6–2)
- 1905 Wimbledon: Winner against Dorothea Douglass Chambers (6–3, 6–4)
- 1906 Wimbledon: Runner-up against Dorothea Douglass Chambers (3–6, 7–9)
- 1907 Wimbledon: Winner against Dorothea Douglass Chambers (6–1, 6–4)
Doubles Titles and Runner-up
May won one doubles title and was a runner-up once.
- 1904 U.S. Championships: Winner with Miriam Hall against Elisabeth Moore and Carrie Neely (3–6, 6–3, 6–3)
- 1925 U.S. Championships: Runner-up with Elizabeth Ryan against Mary K. Browne and Helen Wills (4–6, 3–6)
Mixed Doubles Runner-up
May was a runner-up in mixed doubles once.
- 1904 U.S. Championships: Runner-up with F.B. Dallas against Elisabeth Moore and Wylie Grant (2–6, 1–6)
Images for kids
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May Sutton (around 1910-1915)
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May Sutton
See also
In Spanish: May Sutton para niños
