Pauline Betz

Many believe Pauline Betz was the finest post-World War II tennis player in the U.S. She grew up in Los Angeles, and became noted for her extreme speed and mobility. During her career, she captured 19 U.S. titles. She first ranked in the U.S. Top Ten in 1939, and became number 1 in 1942. She held the number 1 world ranking in 1946. She won Wimbledon the only time she entered, in 1946, without losing a set. That same year she also helped win the Wightman Cup series against Britain and closed out her amateur career by winning 8 of 12 tournaments before turning pro in 1947. Though there was no women's professional tennis at the time, she made one-time tours against Sarah Palfrey Cooke in 1947, and Gussie Moran in 1951, dominating both opponents. After retiring, she founded a tennis camp and married Washington Post sportswriter Bob Addie. Tennis historian Jerome Scheuer called her "the fastest woman on foot ever to play the game." She was selected for the Hall of Fame in 1965.