Born: 1918 (Sydney, Australia)
Died: 2015
Thelma Dorothy Coyne Long (née Coyne; 14 October 1918 – 13 April 2015) was an Australian tennis player and one of the female players who dominated Australian tennis from the mid-1930s to the 1950s. During her career, she won 19 Grand Slam tournament titles. In 2013, Long was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Tennis Career:
Thelma Coyne Long had a remarkable tennis career, achieving great success in both singles and doubles competitions. At the Australian Championships, she won the singles title in 1952 and 1954. She also reached the singles finals in 1940, 1951, 1955, and 1956.
In women’s doubles, Long formed a formidable partnership with Nancye Wynne Bolton, winning 10 titles together in 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, and 1952. She also won two more doubles titles with Mary Bevis Hawton in 1956 and 1958. Additionally, she reached the women’s doubles finals with Bolton in 1946 and 1950.
Long’s success extended to mixed doubles as well. She won the mixed doubles title in 1951, 1952, and 1955 with George Worthington, and in 1954 with Rex Hartwig. She was also a mixed doubles finalist in 1948 with Bill Sidwell.
At Wimbledon, Long reached the women’s doubles finals in 1957 with Mary Bevis Hawton and the mixed doubles finals in 1952 with Enrique Morea. She made a remarkable comeback at the age of 52, teaming up with Lorraine Coghlan in the women’s doubles at Wimbledon in 1971.
In the French Championships, Long reached the women’s doubles finals with Mary Bevis Hawton in 1958 and won the mixed doubles title with Luis Ayala in 1956. She was also a mixed doubles finalist in 1951 with Mervyn Rose.
Long’s career highlights also include winning the singles title and women’s doubles title with Anita Kanter at the 1953 tournament in Cincinnati. She was consistently ranked in the top 10 players in the world, reaching a career-high of World No. 7 in 1952.
Beyond her remarkable playing career, Thelma Coyne Long became a teaching professional in 1960 and spent many years coaching junior players in New South Wales. She was honored by Tennis NSW in 1985, receiving Life Membership of the State Association in recognition of her achievements.
Awards:
– Australian Sports Medal (2000)
– Inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame (2002)
– Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (2013)
Personal Life:
Thelma Coyne Long was born in Sydney, Australia, on 14 October 1918, the only child of Tom and Dorrie Coyne. She attended the Sydney Girls High School. On 30 January 1941, she married Maurice Newton Long.