John Donald Budge was an American tennis player. He is most famous as the first tennis player — male or female, and still the only American male — to win the Grand Slam, and to win all four Grand Slam events consecutively overall. Budge was the second man to complete the career Grand Slam after Fred Perry, and remains the youngest to achieve the feat. He won ten majors, of which six were Grand Slam events and four Pro Slams, the latter achieved on three different surfaces. Budge is considered to have one of the best backhands in the history of tennis, with most observers rating it better than that of later player Ken Rosewall.
Before the advent of the Open era of tennis competitions in April 1968, only amateurs were allowed to compete in established tournaments, including the four majors. There was no prize money and players were compensated for travel expenses only. However many top tennis players turned professional to play legally for prize money in the years before the open era. They played in separate professional events, mostly on tours involving head-to-head competition, but also in professional tournaments as the biggest events on the pro tour. Professional tournaments, in particular the professional majors, usually only had a men's draw.
Hans "Hanne" Nüsslein was a German tennis player and coach and former World professional number 1 tennis player who won four professional Majors singles titles during his career.
Dorothy Edith Round, was a British tennis player who was active from the late 1920s until 1950. She achieved her major successes in the 1930s. She won the singles title at Wimbledon in 1934 and 1937, and the singles at the Australian Championships in 1935. She also had success as a mixed doubles player at Wimbledon, winning a total of three titles. After her wedding in 1937, she played under her married name, Mrs D.L. Little. During the Second World War, she played in North America and became a professional coach in Canada and the United States. Post-war, she played in British regional tournaments, coached, and wrote on tennis for newspapers.
Frank Andrew Parker was an amateur & later professional American male tennis player of Polish immigrant parents who was active in the 1930s and 1940s. He won four Grand Slam singles titles as well as three doubles titles.
Alice Marble was an American tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam championships between 1936 and 1940: five in singles, six in women's doubles, and seven in mixed doubles. She was ranked world No. 1 in 1939.
Thelma Dorothy Coyne Long 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.
Sarah Hammond Palfrey Danzig was an American tennis player whose adult amateur career spanned 19 years, from June 1926 until September 1945. She won two singles, nine women's doubles, and four mixed doubles titles at the U.S. National Championships.
Dorothy "Dodo" May Sutton Bundy Cheney was an American tennis player from her youth into her 90s. In 1938, Bundy was the first American to win the women's singles title at the Australian National Championships, defeating Dorothy Stevenson in the final.
Jadwiga ("Jed") Jędrzejowska was a Polish tennis player who had her main achievements during the second half of the 1930s. Because her name was difficult to pronounce for many people who did not speak Polish, she was often called by the nicknames "Jed" or "Ja-Ja".
Don Budge defeated Roderich Menzel 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 in the final to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1938 French Championships.
Ghaus Mohammad Khan was an Indian tennis player from Malihabad. He was the first Indian to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, achieved in 1939 where he lost to second-seeded and eventual champion Bobby Riggs. With compatriot Iftikar Ahmed he reached the third round in the doubles event in 1947. He was active from 1932 until 1948 and won 35 career titles in singles.
Kho Sin-Khie was an Indonesian-born tennis player who represented the Republic of China in the Davis Cup. He was from the Peranakan Chinese ethnic group. He was the first Chinese player ever to win a major international tournament. He won twice the British Hard Court Championships and the Surrey Grass Court Championships on one occasion. He was a Swiss, Italian and Swedish champion as well.
Jiro Yamagishi was an amateur tennis player from Japan who competed primarily in the 1930s. He was ranked World No 8 in 1938.
Fumiteru Nakano was a male tennis player from Japan who was active from the 1930s until the 1950s.
Clarence Medlycott "Jimmy" Jones was a British tennis player and author. In major tournaments his best result came at the 1936 Wimbledon Championships where he reached the fourth round. Jones was a successful player winning events on multiple surfaces including clay, cement, grass and wood (indoors). Between 1931 and 1950 he contested 36 career finals and won 22 titles.
Dorothy 'Dot' Stevenson was an Australian female tennis player who was active in the 1930s.
Max Bonner (1917–1996) was an Australian tennis player. He was originally from Western Australia, but moved to Victoria in the 1940s. He was singles champion of Western Australia in 1941. He began playing tennis at an early age, as his parents were told to make sure he went outside for health reasons. Aged 23 in September 1940, Bonner became a sergeant in the R. A. A. F. After serving in the Darwin raids, he was discharged on medical grounds. He was a popular player and very agile around the court, but was prone to being erratic. Bonner made his debut at the 1936 Australian championships and lost in round one to Lionel Brodie. In 1937 he lost in round one to Frank Bennett. In 1938 he lost in round one to Adrian Quist. In 1939 he lost in round two to Vivian McGrath. In 1940 he lost in round two to Bill Sidwell. At the Australian championships in 1946, Bonner had the best win of his career against veteran former champion Jack Crawford. The match contained many long gruelling baseline rallies and in the end Bonner wore out his older opponent. Bonner then lost to Quist in the quarter finals. In 1947 he lost in round two to Brodie. In 1948 and 1949 he lost early to Sidwell. Then Bonner became a professional tennis coach.
Alan Coldham (1906–1996) was an Australian tennis player who later settled in England. He also played golf. Coldham was national junior tennis champion of Australia in 1924 and 1925. Coldham first entered the Australasian championships in 1925, when he lost in round one to Rice Gemmell. In 1926 he lost early to Pat O'Hara Wood, but gained his revenge on O'Hara Wood the following year by beating the twice former champion. It was a match that contained many good rallies. Coldham went for his shots and often came to the net to finish off points and ran O'Hara Wood all over the court. Coldham lost in the quarter finals to Jack Hawkes. In 1930 Coldham beat Hawkes but lost in round three to Jack Clemenger. In the 1930s, Coldham settled in England. Coldham married Eileen Eveleigh-de Moleyns in 1939 and they lived in Osterley, London. Coldham made his debut at Wimbledon in 1936, losing in round two to Josef Caska. In 1937 he lost in round two to Andre Lacroix and in 1938 lost in round one to Owen Anderson. In 1939 he lost in the Wimbledon second round to Alejo Russell. He lost in round two in 1946 and round one in 1947. He made his last appearance in 1948, losing in round two to Cyril Kemp.
Rita Anderson Jarvis (1916–1982) was a British tennis player.
United States