 Kathleen McKane Godfree (left) andSuzanne Lenglen at the French Championships in 1925 | |
| Full name | Kathleen McKane Godfree |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Great Britain |
| Born | (1896-05-07)7 May 1896 Bayswater, England |
| Died | 19 June 1992(1992-06-19) (aged 96) London, England |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1978(member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No.2 (1923, 1924, 1926) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | F (1923,1925) |
| Wimbledon | W (1924,1926) |
| US Open | F (1925) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | F (1925, 1926) |
| Wimbledon | F (1922, 1924, 1926) |
| US Open | W (1923, 1927) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1924, 1926) |
| US Open | W (1925) |
| Team competitions | |
| Wightman Cup | (1924,1925) |
Medal record | |
Kathleen "Kitty"McKane Godfree (née McKane; 7 May 1896 – 19 June 1992) was a Britishtennis andbadminton player and the second most decorated female British Olympian, joint withKatherine Grainger.[1]
According toA. Wallis Myers ofThe Daily Telegraph and theDaily Mail, Godfree was ranked in the world top 10 from 1921 (when the rankings began) through 1927, reaching a career high of world No. 2 in these rankings in 1923, 1924, and 1926.[2][3]
Godfree won five Olympic medals in tennis at the1920 Antwerp and1924 Paris games,[4] the most Olympic medals won by a tennis player[5] untilVenus Williams matched this record at the2016 Olympic Games. In 1923, she captured the title at theWorld Covered Court Championships.
Godfree won theWimbledon singles title twice. In the 1924 final, Godfree recovered from a set and 4–1 (40–15) down againstHelen Wills to win the title.[6] This was the only defeat at Wimbledon for Wills who later won eight titles. In the 1926 final, Godfree recovered from a 3–1 and game-point-against deficit in the third set to defeatLili de Alvarez.
The 1924 Wimbledon final was not Godfree's only victory over Wills. Godfree also defeated Wills during the 1924Wightman Cup 6–2, 6–2.[7] On at least two other occasions, Godfree pushed Wills to the limit. Wills won their quarterfinal in the 1923U.S. Championships 2–6, 6–2, 7–5 after Godfree recovered to 5–5 in the third set after trailing 5–2.[7] In the final of the 1925 U.S. Championships, Wills won in three sets.
In 1925, Godfree became the first person to have reached the singles finals of theFrench Championships, Wimbledon, and U.S. Championships during her career.[8]
In 1922, Kitty and her sisterMargaret McKane Stocks were the only sisters to contest a Wimbledon doubles final (untilSerena andVenus Williams reached the final in 2000), losing toSuzanne Lenglen andElizabeth Ryan 6–0, 6–4.[7]
Godfree's lifetime record at Wimbledon was 38–11 in singles, 33–12 in women's doubles, and 40–12 in mixed doubles.[7]
Godfree received a Centenary medallion on Wimbledon's Centre Court in 1977.[7] She presented the winner's trophy toMartina Navratilova in 1986, in honour of the centenary year of play at Wimbledon.[9][10] Godfree was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978.
In badminton, Godfree won eightAll England Open Badminton Championships from 1920 through 1925, considered the unofficialWorld Badminton Championships[11] until 1977.
She was the subject ofThis Is Your Life in 1987 when she was surprised byEamonn Andrews while shopping in a supermarket in East Sheen.[citation needed]
Godfree died on 19 June 1992 at the age of 96.[12]
In 2025 theMuseum of Richmond included her in their exhibition "Trailblazing Women – Richmond’s Sporting Superstars".[13]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1923 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Suzanne Lenglen | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1924 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Helen Wills | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1925 | French Championships | Clay | Suzanne Lenglen | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1925 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Helen Wills | 6–3, 0–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1926 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Lilí de Álvarez | 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1922 | Wimbledon | Grass | Margaret McKane Stocks | Suzanne LenglenElizabeth Ryan | 0–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1923 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Phyllis Howkins Covell | Eleanor GossHazel Hotchkiss Wightman | 2–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1924 | Wimbledon | Grass | Phyllis Howkins Covell | Hazel Hotchkiss WightmanHelen Wills | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1925 | French Championships | Clay | Evelyn Colyer | Suzanne Lenglen Julie Vlasto | 1–6, 11–9, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1926 | French Championships | Clay | Evelyn Colyer | Suzanne Lenglen Julie Vlasto | 1–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1926 | Wimbledon | Grass | Evelyn Colyer | Mary Browne Elizabeth Ryan | 1–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 1927 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Ermyntrude Harvey | Joan FryBetty Nuthall | 6–1, 4–6, 6–4 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1923 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  John Hawkes | Molla Bjurstedt MalloryBill Tilden | 3–6, 6–2, 8–10 |
| Win | 1924 | Wimbledon | Grass | Brian Gilbert | Dorothy ShepherdLeslie Godfree | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 1925 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | John Hawkes | Ermyntrude HarveyVincent Richards | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 1926 | Wimbledon | Grass | Leslie Godfree | Mary BrowneHoward Kinsey | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1927 | Wimbledon | Grass | Leslie Godfree | Elizabeth RyanFrank Hunter | 6–8, 0–6 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | NH | NH | NH | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| France1 | NH | A | A | SF | F | NH | F | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 |
| Wimbledon | QF | 3R | 2R | 2R | F | W | SF | W | QF | A | A | A | 4R | 4R | 2R | 3R | 2 / 13 |
| United States | A | A | A | A | QF | A | F | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 3 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 2 / 20 |
1Through 1923, the French Championships were open only to French nationals and foreigners who had membership with a French tennis club. The World Hard Court Championships (WHCC), actually played on clay in Paris or Brussels, began in 1912 and were open to all nationalities. The results from that tournament are shown here from 1920 through 1923. The Olympics replaced the WHCC in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris. Beginning in 1925, the French Championships were open to all nationalities, with the results shown here beginning with that year.
Kitty and her husbandLeslie remain the only married couple to have won the mixed doubles championship at Wimbledon,[14] winning the title in 1926. Kitty has also been referred to as Mrs. L. A. Godfree on sportscards and in reference material.
| Demonstration | |
|---|---|
| Outdoor |
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