Most people think of Billie Jean King as the first true pioneer of women’s tennis, but she would be the first to tell you that she stood on the shoulders of many others who came before her. Today’s topic is one of the original badasses of women in the sport, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman. She was arguably the most transformational leader among those who blazed the trail for women in tennis.
I spent last weekend playing in a tournament hosted by the Longwood Cricket Club. Wightman was one of its most prominent members. She was crowned the USLTA National Champion numerous times on that site. A portrait of Wightman hangs on the wall of the stairway landing that leads into the Women’s Locker room. In fact, the club has many photos and memorabilia associated with Wightman and the other tennis greats who frequented that hallowed site scattered about the clubhouse. I was like a kid in a candy shop.
Consequently, I am inspired to revisit First Lady of Tennis: Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman by Tom Carter. This updated book review originally ran on this site in 2022. Before I initially read this biography, I thought I knew the broad outline of Wightman’s tennis contributions. However, I was completely blown away by the depth and breadth of her accomplishments. She is an influential force that paved the early way toward the ultimate emergence of women’s tennis.
In 1919, Wightman decided to create a women’s international team competition, which she modeled after the men’s Davis Cup. She impulsively bought a silver vase to be used as the trophy and had it engraved with “Challenge Cup—Ladies Team Match.” It gathered dust for four years until the USLTA needed an event to open the new stadium court at Forest Hills. Though she never envisioned associating her name with the competition, the USLTA immediately designated it as the Wightman Cup.
Until Wightman started playing tennis, the conventional wisdom dictated different tactics between men’s and women’s play. She was the first to recognize that women could use strategies previously thought to be for men only. Wightman successfully used a hard-hitting, aggressive, net-rushing style to become one of the top players of her era.
Wightman was also one of the first people to teach stroke fundamentals, which she did as part of her tennis advocacy. She articulated the fundamentals of good technique and was known for preaching the importance of rhythm and balance. She was also a de facto talent scout for the USLTA and was instrumental in coaching and developing some of the best women’s players of the subsequent era.
Wightman’s playing accomplishments would take several paragraphs to list exhaustively. Highlights include multiple wins at the US Championships (now the US Open). She also won gold medals at the 1924 Olympics in women’s doubles and mixed doubles. She also was the captain of several winning Wightman Cup teams.
Her off-court accolades are equally impressive, particularly when you consider that she never tried to associate her name with any of them. In addition to the Wightman Cup, a tennis club in Massachusetts was also named after her. Wightman was also honored by being the person to hand out the first equal paycheck at the US Open in 1973 that went to Margaret Court.
The final Wightman Cup was held in 1989. Jennifer Capriati, Lori McNeil, and Mary Joe Fernandez were some of the notable American players on that team. Unfortunately, the event had become redundant to the Federation Cup. The organizers failed to secure a sponsor for the Wightman Cup in 1990, and it faded into history.
Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman intuitively recognized that playing tennis empowered individual identity and self-esteem. She was a lifetime ambassador and promoter of the sport. Wightman is arguably the most important figure in women’s tennis, yet many current players have never even heard of her. First Lady of Tennis: Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman is mandatory reading for tennis history buffs.
 | First Lady of Tennis: Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman |
