Born: March 26, 1908 (Germany)
Died: March 7, 1981
Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling was a German tennis player who became a dual-citizen after marrying Dane Svend Sperling in December 1933. She was born on March 26, 1908, and passed away on March 7, 1981. Krahwinkel Sperling is generally regarded as the second-greatest female German tennis player in history, behind Steffi Graf. Sperling played a counterpunching game, predicated on speed, and wore down opponents.
According to A. Wallis Myers and John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Sperling was ranked in the world top 10 from 1930 through 1939. She reached a career-high of world no. 2 in the rankings in 1936. However, according to Ned Potter of American Lawn Tennis, Sperling was the top-ranked player for 1936.
From 1935 through 1937, Sperling won three consecutive singles titles at the French Championships. She is one of only four women in history to achieve this feat. The others are Helen Wills Moody (1928-1930), Monica Seles (1990-1992), and Justine Henin (2005-2007).
Sperling’s dominant performance on clay courts was evident as she only lost one match on the surface from 1935 through 1939, and that was against Simonne Mathieu at a tournament in Beaulieu, France in 1937. Despite this loss, Sperling had a commanding record against Mathieu, having won the majority of their over 20 career matches.
Although Sperling twice reached the singles final at Wimbledon, she was never able to secure the title. In 1931, she lost to her compatriot Cilly Aussem, and in 1936, she was defeated by Helen Jacobs. However, Sperling did claim the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1936, playing alongside Gottfried von Cramm.
From 1933 through 1939, Sperling dominated the singles competition at the German Championships, winning the title six consecutive times. The only interruption to her winning streak was in 1936 when the tournament was not held due to the Berlin Olympics. Sperling’s record of six consecutive titles stood for five decades until Steffi Graf surpassed it by winning the tournament nine times.
Sperling also had success beyond the French and German Championships. In 1935, she won the singles title at the Italian Championships, and in 1938, she defeated Helen Wills Moody in the semifinals of the Queen’s Club London championships, just before Moody went on to win her eighth Wimbledon singles title.
Sperling’s last international singles title came at the 1950 Scandinavian Covered Courts Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark when she was 41 years old. She also won several championships in Denmark during World War II when the country was occupied by Germany.
Due to scheduling conflicts with the German Championships, Sperling never had the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Championships. However, her impressive achievements on the international stage cemented her legacy as one of the greatest tennis players of her time.
In recognition of her exceptional career, Sperling was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013. Her contributions to the sport, both in Germany and on the global stage, have had a lasting impact on women’s tennis and continue to inspire players to this day.