Pauline Betz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pauline Betz

Betz in 1949
Full name	Pauline Betz Addie
ITF name	Pauline Addie
Country (sports)	United States
Born	Pauline May Betz (1919-08-06)August 6, 1919 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 31, 2011(2011-05-31) (aged 91) Potomac, Maryland, U.S.
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.66 m)
Turned pro	1947
Retired	1960
Int. Tennis HoF	1965 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1946)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open	F (1946)
Wimbledon	W (1946)
US Open	W (1942, 1943, 1944, 1946)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open	F (1946)
Wimbledon	F (1946)
US Open	F (1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	W (1946)
US Open	F (1941, 1943)
Team competitions
Wightman Cup	W (1946)

Pauline Betz Addie (born Pauline May Betz; August 6, 1919 – May 31, 2011) was a famous American tennis player. She won five major singles titles, known as Grand Slams. She was also a runner-up three other times. A famous tennis player, Jack Kramer, once said she was the second-best female tennis player he had ever seen.

Early Life and Education

Pauline Betz grew up in the United States. She went to Los Angeles High School where she started learning tennis. Her coach was Dick Skeen.

Pauline continued her education and tennis at Rollins College. She graduated from there in 1943. She was also a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Later, she earned a master's degree in economics from Columbia University.

Tennis Career Highlights

Pauline Betz had an amazing tennis career, first as an amateur and then as a professional.

Amateur Tennis Success

Pauline won her first of four singles titles at the U.S. Championships in 1942. In one tough match, she saved a match point in the semifinals. The next year, she won the Tri-State tournament in Cincinnati. In that final, she won the first set without losing a single point! This rare achievement is called a "golden set".

In 1946, she won the Wimbledon singles title. This was the only time she played in that tournament, and she won without losing a single set. Later that year, at the French Championships, she reached the final but lost after having two chances to win the match.

Pauline was considered the world's number one female tennis player in 1946. She was also ranked among the top 10 U.S. players from 1939 to 1946. She was the top-ranked U.S. player in 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1946.

Becoming a Professional Player

Pauline's amateur career ended in 1947. The United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) changed her status because she was thinking about becoming a professional player. After this, Pauline played in professional tennis tours. She competed against other great players like Sarah Palfrey Cooke in 1947 and Gussie Moran in 1951.

Pauline Betz also won the Cleveland Women's World Professional Championships three times: in 1953, 1955, and 1956. In the 1956 final, she defeated Doris Hart, who was the U.S. champion at the time.

Later Life and Legacy

Pauline Betz passed away on May 31, 2011, at 91 years old. She is buried with her husband, Bob Addie, in Potomac, Maryland.

Awards and Honors

Pauline Betz received many honors for her tennis achievements.

• On September 2, 1946, she was featured on the cover of TIME magazine.
• In 1965, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
• In 1995, she was inducted into the ITA Women's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.
• A tennis center in Potomac, Maryland, was renamed the Pauline Betz Addie Tennis Center in her honor on May 1, 2008. She helped start this center in 1972.

Grand Slam Finals Overview

Pauline Betz played in many Grand Slam finals. Here's a look at her results.

Singles Finals (5 Wins, 3 Losses)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1941	U.S. Championships	Grass	Sarah Palfrey Cooke	5–7, 2–6
Win	1942	U.S. Championships	Grass	Louise Brough	4–6, 6–1, 6–4
Win	1943	U.S. Championships (2)	Grass	Louise Brough	6–3, 5–7, 6–3
Win	1944	U.S. Championships (3)	Grass	Margaret Osborne	6–3, 8–6
Loss	1945	U.S. Championships	Grass	Sarah Palfrey Cooke	6–3, 6–8, 4–6
Win	1946	Wimbledon	Grass	Louise Brough	6–2, 6–4
Loss	1946	French Championships	Clay	Margaret Osborne	6–2, 6–8, 5–7
Win	1946	U.S. Championships (4)	Grass	Doris Hart	11–9, 6–3

Doubles Finals (7 Losses)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1941	U.S. Championships	Grass	Dorothy Bundy	Sarah Palfrey Margaret Osborne	6–3, 1–6, 4–6
Loss	1942	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne	6–2, 5–7, 0–6
Loss	1943	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne	4–6, 3–6
Loss	1944	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne	6–4, 4–6, 3–6
Loss	1945	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne	3–6, 3–6
Loss	1946	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne	3–6, 6–2, 3–6
Loss	1946	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne	4–6, 6–0, 1–6

Mixed Doubles Finals (1 Win, 2 Losses)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1941	U.S. Championships	Grass	Bobby Riggs	Sarah Palfrey Jack Kramer	6–4, 4–6, 4–6
Loss	1943	U.S. Championships	Grass	Pancho Segura	Margaret Osborne Bill Talbert	8–10, 4–6
Win	1946	French Championships	Clay	Budge Patty	Dorothy Bundy Tom Brown	7–5, 9–7

Grand Slam Singles Tournament Timeline

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.

¹In 1946, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.

Personal Life

In 1949, Pauline Betz wrote a book about her life called Wings on my Tennis Shoes. That same year, she married Bob Addie. He was a sportswriter for newspapers like the Washington Times-Herald and Washington Post.

Pauline and Bob had five children: Kim, Rusty, Gary, Jon, and Rick. Her granddaughter, Aya Cash, is a well-known actress.

Tennis Records

Pauline Betz holds a special record in tennis history.

See also

In Spanish: Pauline Betz para niños

• Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final