 Helen
Hull Jacobs
Courtesy of Colonial
Williamsburg Archives
A gutsy competitor with a powerful
backhand, Helen Hull Jacobs (b.1908) was the first tennis player
to be voted Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. Like
her greatest rival, Helen
Wills, Jacobs attended the
University of California at Berkeley and worked with coaches
William 'Pop'
Fuller and Hazel Wightman. Mrs. Wightman called Jacobs "the most
satisfying pupil I've ever taught."
Popular among playeres and fans alike,
Jacob's determination and skill led her to four straight U.S.
singles championships. Her last match with Wills in the 1938
Wimbledon finals showcased her fighting spirit: she refused to
default despite a severe foot injury. During World War II Jacobs
took courses at the College of William & Mary in preparation
for training as a U.S. Navy WAVE. She attained the rank of Commander
in the Naval Reserve.
Career Highlights
9 Grand Slam titles (5 Singles,
3 Doubles, 1 Mixed Doubles)
Finalist in 17 Grand Slam championship
matches
Ranked in USTA Top 10 from 1927-1929,
1931-1937, 1939-1941; No.1 in 1932-1935
U.S Girls' 18 Singles Champion
1924, 1925
U.S. Singles Champion 1932-1935
U.S. Doubles Champion 1932, 1934-1935
U.S. Mixed Doubles Champion 1934
Italian Singles, Doubles Champion
1934
Wimbledon Singles Champion 1936
Seeded in the Wimbledon Top 10
from 1928-1937, 1939
U.S. Wightman Cup Team Member
1927-1937, 1939 (19-11 record)
Associated Press Female Athlete
of the Year 1933
Author of 20 books of fiction
and non-fiction, including Beyond the Game and Famous
Modern American Women Athletes
Inducted into the University
of California Athletic Hall of Fame; the College of William &
Mary Athletic Hall of Fame; the Northern California Tennis Hall
of Fame; and the San Francisco Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
Inducted into the International
Tennis Hall of Fame 1962
Recipient of thte Tennis Immortal
Award from the Tennis Writers Association 1968
|