Kathleen McKane Godfree

Kathleen "Kitty" McKane Godfree (née McKane; 7 May 1896 – 19 June 1992) was a British tennis and badminton player and the most decorated female British Olympian, joint with Katherine Grainger[1]

Kitty McKane Godfree

Kathleen McKane Godfree (left) and Suzanne Lenglen at the French Championships in 1925
Full name	Kathleen McKane Godfree
Country (sports)	Great Britain
Born	7 May 1896 Bayswater, England
Died	19 June 1992 (aged 96) London, England
Plays	Right-handed
Int. Tennis HoF	1978 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No.2 (1923, 1924, 1926)
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open	F (1923, 1925)
Wimbledon	W (1924, 1926)
US Open	F (1925)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open	F (1925, 1926)
Wimbledon	F (1922, 1924, 1926)
US Open	W (1923, 1927)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1924, 1926)
US Open	W (1925)
Team competitions
Wightman Cup	(1924, 1925)
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis 1920 Antwerp Doubles 1920 Antwerp Mixed Doubles 1924 Paris Doubles 1920 Antwerp Singles 1924 Paris Singles

According to A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Godfree was ranked in the world top ten from 1921 (when the rankings began) through 1927, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1923, 1924, and 1926.[2][3]

Playing in 1923

Godfree won five Olympic medals in tennis at the 1920 Antwerp and 1924 Paris games, the most Olympic medals ever won by a tennis player[4] until Venus Williams matched this record at the 2016 Olympic Games. In 1923 she captured the title at the World Covered Court Championships.

Godfree won the Wimbledon singles title twice. In the 1924 final, Godfree recovered from a set and 4–1 (40–15) down against Helen Wills to win the title.[5] This was the only defeat at Wimbledon for Wills who would go on to win eight titles. In the 1926 final, Godfree recovered from a 3–1 and game-point-against deficit in the third set to defeat Lili de Alvarez.

The 1924 Wimbledon final was not Godfree's only victory over Wills. Godfree also defeated Wills during the 1924 Wightman Cup 6–2, 6–2.[6] On at least two other occasions, Godfree pushed Wills to the limit. Wills won their quarterfinal in the 1923 U.S. Championships 2–6, 6–2, 7–5 after Godfree recovered to 5–5 in the third set after trailing 5–2.[6] And in the final of the 1925 U.S. Championships, Wills won in three sets.

In 1925, Godfree became the first person to have reached the singles finals of the French Championships, Wimbledon, and U.S. Championships during her career.[7]

In 1922, Kitty and her sister Margaret McKane Stocks were the only sisters to contest a Wimbledon doubles final (until Serena and Venus Williams reached the final in 2000), losing to Suzanne Lenglen and Elizabeth Ryan 6–0, 6–4.[6]

Godfree's lifetime record at Wimbledon was 38–11 in singles, 33–12 in women's doubles, and 40–12 in mixed doubles.[6]

Godfree received a Centenary medallion on Wimbledon's Centre Court in 1977.[6] She presented the winner's trophy to Martina Navratilova in 1986, in honour of the centenary year of play at Wimbledon.[8][9] Godfree was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978.

In badminton, Godfree won eight All England Open Badminton Championships from 1920 through 1925, considered the unofficial World Badminton Championships[10] until 1977.

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1987 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while shopping in a supermarket in East Sheen.[11]

Godfree died on 19 June 1992 at the age of 96.[12]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1923	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	2–6, 2–6
Win	1924	Wimbledon	Grass	Helen Wills	4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Loss	1925	French Championships	Clay	Suzanne Lenglen	1–6, 2–6
Loss	1925	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Helen Wills	6–3, 0–6, 2–6
Win	1926	Wimbledon	Grass	Lilí de Álvarez	6–2, 4–6, 6–3

Doubles: 7 (2 titles, 5 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1922	Wimbledon	Grass	Margaret McKane Stocks	Suzanne Lenglen Elizabeth Ryan	0–6, 4–6
Win	1923	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Phyllis Howkins Covell	Eleanor Goss Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman	2–6, 6–2, 6–1
Loss	1924	Wimbledon	Grass	Phyllis Howkins Covell	Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman Helen Wills	4–6, 4–6
Loss	1925	French Championships	Clay	Evelyn Colyer	Suzanne Lenglen Julie Vlasto	1–6, 11–9, 2–6
Loss	1926	French Championships	Clay	Evelyn Colyer	Suzanne Lenglen Julie Vlasto	1–6, 1–6
Loss	1926	Wimbledon	Grass	Evelyn Colyer	Mary Browne Elizabeth Ryan	1–6, 1–6
Win	1927	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Ermyntrude Harvey	Joan Fry Betty Nuthall	6–1, 4–6, 6–4

Mixed doubles: 5 (3 titles, 2 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1923	U.S. National Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	Molla Bjurstedt Mallory Bill Tilden	3–6, 6–2, 8–10
Win	1924	Wimbledon	Grass	Brian Gilbert	Dorothy Shepherd Leslie Godfree	6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Win	1925	U.S. National Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	Ermyntrude Harvey Vincent Richards	6–2, 6–4
Win	1926	Wimbledon	Grass	Leslie Godfree	Mary Browne Howard Kinsey	6–3, 6–4
Loss	1927	Wimbledon	Grass	Leslie Godfree	Elizabeth Ryan Frank Hunter	6–8, 0–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Key

W

F

SF

QF

#R

RR

Q#

A

NH

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

Tournament	1919	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	Career SR
Australia	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 0
France^1	NH	A	A	SF	F	NH	F	QF	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 4
Wimbledon	QF	3R	2R	2R	F	W	SF	W	QF	A	A	A	4R	4R	2R	3R	2 / 13
United States	A	A	A	A	QF	A	F	A	1R	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 3
SR	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 3	1 / 1	0 / 3	1 / 2	0 / 2	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	2 / 20

¹Through 1923, the French Championships were open only to French nationals. The World Hard Court Championships (WHCC), actually played on clay in Paris or Brussels, began in 1912 and were open to all nationalities. The results from that tournament are shown here from 1920 through 1923. The Olympics replaced the WHCC in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris. Beginning in 1925, the French Championships were open to all nationalities, with the results shown here beginning with that year.

Husband

Kitty and her husband Leslie remain the only married couple ever to win the mixed doubles championship at Wimbledon,[13] winning the title in 1926. Kitty has also been referred to as Mrs. L. A. Godfree on sportscards and in reference material.

See also

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

References

1. "Kitty Godfree, Tennis Titlist, Is Dead at 96". The New York Times. 20 June 1992.
2. Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 701. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
3. Kitty and King George V. at Wimbledon 1926 in The Illustrated London News
4. Blue Plaque for Kathleen "Kitty" Godfree, Wimbledon Champion
5. "Kitty Godfree | British athlete". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
6. Collins, Bud (2008) p.565
7. "Kitty McKane". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
8. "Martina Keeps All England Under Her Rule". Los Angeles Times. 6 July 1986.
9. "Plaque honours tennis great Kitty". BBC. 23 October 2006.
10. The History of All England Championships Archived 26 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
11. "Kitty Godfree". Bigredbook.info. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
12. https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/20/sports/kitty-godfree-tennis-titlist-is-dead-at-96.html
13. Blue Plaque for Kathleen 'Kitty' Godfree, Wimbledon Champion

External links

• Kathleen McKane Godfree at the International Tennis Federation
• Kathleen McKane Godfree at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Kitty McKane at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
• Kathleen McKane Godfree at the International Olympic Committee
• Kitty Godfree's appearance on This Is Your Life