View source for Simonne Mathieu

{{Short description|French tennis player (1908–1980)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
| name                  = Simonne Mathieu
| image                 = Simonne Mathieu 1926.jpg
| image_size            = 
| caption               = <!-- brief text caption for the image -->
| fullname              = Simonne Emma Henriette Passemard-Mathieu
| country_represented   = {{FRA}}
| residence             = 
| birth_date            = {{birth date|1908|01|31|df=yes}}
| birth_place           = [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]], Hauts-de-Seine, France
| death_date            = {{death date and age|1980|01|07|1908|01|31|df=yes}}
| death_place           = [[Chatou]], France
| height                = 
| plays                 = Right–handed (one-handed backhand)
| tennishofyear         = 2006
| tennishofid           = simonne-mathieu
| website               = 
| singlesrecord         = 510-94 (84.4%)
| singlestitles        = 147
| highestsinglesranking = No. 3 (1932<small>, [[A. Wallis Myers]]</small>)
| AustralianOpenresult  = 
| FrenchOpenresult      = '''W''' ([[1938 French Championships – Women's singles|1938]], [[1939 French Championships – Women's singles|1939]])
| Wimbledonresult       = SF ([[1930 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1930]], [[1931 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1931]], [[1932 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1932]], [[1934 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1934]], [[1936 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1936]], [[1937 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1937]])
| USOpenresult          = QF ([[1938 U.S. National Championships – Women's singles|1938]])
| doublesrecord         =
| doublestitles         =
| FrenchOpenDoublesresult = '''W''' ([[1933 French Championships (tennis)|1933]], [[1934 French Championships (tennis)|1934]], [[1936 French Championships (tennis)|1936]], [[1937 French Championships (tennis)|1937]], [[1938 French Championships (tennis)|1938]], [[1939 French Championships (tennis)|1939]])
| WimbledonDoublesresult  = '''W''' ([[1933 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|1933]], [[1934 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|1934]], [[1937 Wimbledon Championships – Women's doubles|1937]])
| USOpenDoublesresult     = F ([[1938 U.S. National Championships|1938]])
| AustralianOpenMixedresult = 
| FrenchOpenMixedresult     = '''W''' (1937, 1938)
| WimbledonMixedresult      = F ([[1937 Wimbledon Championships – Mixed doubles|1937]])
| USOpenMixedresult         = 
}}

'''Simonne Mathieu'''{{efn|name=simone|Also spelled "Simone" in several sources.}} ({{IPA|fr|simɔn matjø}} {{nee}} Passemard;)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-15 |title=Who is the real Simonne? – Roland-Garros – The 2022 Roland-Garros Tournament official site |url=https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/article/who-is-the-real-simonne-mathieu |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=Roland Garros |language=en-us}}</ref> (31 January 1908 – 7 January 1980) was a [[tennis]] player from France, born in [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]], Hauts-de-Seine, who was active in the 1930s. She won the French Championships singles title in 1938 and 1939.

During [[World War II]], she created and led the [[Corps des Volontaires françaises|Corps of French Volunteers]] in the [[Free French Forces]], the first female unit in the [[military history of France]].

==Tennis career==
Mathieu is best remembered for winning two major singles titles at the [[French Open|French Championships]] (in 1938 and 1939), and for reaching the final of that tournament an additional six times, in 1929, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, and 1937. In those finals, she lost three times to [[Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling]], twice to [[Helen Wills Moody]], and once to [[Margaret Scriven]].

Mathieu won 11 Grand Slam doubles championships: three women's doubles titles at Wimbledon (1933–34, 1937), six women's doubles titles at the French Championships (1933–34, 1936–39), and two mixed-doubles titles at the French Championships (1937–38). She completed the rare triple at the French Championships in 1938, winning the singles, women's doubles, and mixed-doubles titles.

Mathieu's 13 Grand Slam titles are second only to [[Suzanne Lenglen]]'s 21 among French women.

According to [[A. Wallis Myers]] and [[John Olliff]] of ''The Daily Telegraph'' and the ''Daily Mail'' respectively, Mathieu was ranked in the world top 10 from 1929 through 1939 (no rankings were issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of world No. 3 in 1932.<ref>{{cite book |author=Collins, Bud |title=The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book |publisher=New Chapter Press |location=New York, N.Y |year=2008 |pages=695, 701–2 |isbn=978-0-942257-41-0 }}</ref>

The winners' trophy of the women's doubles event at the French Open is named in her honour as the Coupe Simonne-Mathieu.<ref>{{cite web|title=An A to Z of Roland Garros|url=http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/tournament_info/201307161374012338649.html|website=rolandgarros.com|publisher=[[Fédération Française de Tennis]] (FFT)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402233658/http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/tournament_info/201307161374012338649.html|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref>

== World War II ==
During World War II, Captain Mathieu was founder of the [[Corps des Volontaires françaises|Corps Féminin Français]], the women's volunteer branch of the [[Free French Forces]], similar to the British [[Auxiliary Territorial Service]].<ref>{{cite journal| editor=Hammerton, John | author-link=John Alexander Hammerton|url=http://www.thewarillustrated.info/84/free-french-ats.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118221837/http://www.thewarillustrated.info/84/free-french-ats.asp|url-status=usurped|archive-date=18 January 2009| title=Free French 'A.T.S.'|volume=4|issue=84| location=London|publisher=[[William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose|William Berry]]|date=10 April 1941| journal=[[The War Illustrated]]| pages=384| access-date=2008-10-19}}</ref> Mathieu was succeeded in that position by Captain [[Hélène Terré]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.france-libre.net/les-volontaires-feminines-de-la-france-libre/|title=» Les volontaires féminines de la France Libre|date=2 July 2019 |language=fr-FR|access-date=2020-02-12}}</ref> For their service, each woman was named an [[Legion of Honour|Officer of the Legion of Honor]].<ref name="tennisinfo">{{cite journal|author1=Franck Lehodey|title=Simonne Mathieu, libre arbitre|journal=Tennis Info|date=December 2010 – January 2011|issue=428|page=24|url=http://www.fft.fr/sites/default/files/ti_428.pdf|language=fr|issn=0221-8127}}</ref>

== Honours ==
She was inducted into the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hall of Famers – Simonne Mathieu|url=http://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/simonne-mathieu|publisher=International Tennis Hall of Fame|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813144438/http://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/simonne-mathieu|archive-date=13 August 2010}}</ref>

In November 2017, the [[Fédération Française de Tennis|French Tennis Federation]] (FFT) announced that the third show-court at [[Stade Roland Garros|Roland Garros]] will be named Court Simonne-Mathieu in her honor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Simonne Mathieu, more than just a tennis great|url=http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2017-11-23/2017-11-23_simonne_mathieu_more_than_just_a_tennis_great.html?|website=rolandgarros.com|publisher=[[Fédération Française de Tennis]] (FFT)|date=23 November 2017}}</ref>

==Grand Slam finals==
===Singles: 8 (2 titles, 6 runner-ups)===
{| class='sortable wikitable'
!style="width:40px"|Result
!style="width:35px"|Year
!style="width:180px"|Championship
!style="width:50px"|Surface
!style="width:170px"|Opponent
!style="width:110px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1929 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[French Open|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Helen Wills]] || 3–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1932 ||style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships || Clay || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Helen Wills || 5–7, 1–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1933 ||style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships || Clay || {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Margaret Scriven]] || 2–6, 6–4, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1935 ||style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships || Clay || {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hilde Krahwinkel]] || 2–6, 1–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1936 ||style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships || Clay ||{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Hilde Krahwinkel || 3–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||1937 ||style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships || Clay || {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Hilde Krahwinkel || 2–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win ||1938 ||style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships || Clay || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nelly Landry]] || 6–0, 6–3
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win ||1939 ||style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships || Clay || {{flagicon|Second Polish Republic}} [[Jadwiga Jędrzejowska]] || 6–3, 8–6
|}

===Doubles: 13 (9 titles, 4 runner-ups)===
{|class="sortable wikitable"
!style="width:40px"|Result
!style="width:35px"|Year
!style="width:180px"|Championship
!style="width:50px"|Surface
!style="width:170px"|Partner
!style="width:170px"|Opponents
!style="width:110px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1930 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1930 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Simone Barbier]] || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Elizabeth Ryan]] <br/> {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Helen Wills]] || 3–6, 1–6
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1933 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1933 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Elizabeth Ryan || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Sylvie Jung Henrotin]] <br/> {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Colette Rosambert]] ||  6–1, 6–3
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1933 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1933 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon Championships]] || Grass || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Elizabeth Ryan  || {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Freda James]] <br/> {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Billie Yorke]] ||  6–2, 9–11, 6–4
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1934 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1934 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Elizabeth Ryan || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Helen Jacobs]] <br/> {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Sarah Palfrey]] || 3–6, 6–4, 6–2
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1934 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1934 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon Championships]] || Grass || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Elizabeth Ryan || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Dorothy Andrus]] <br/> {{flagicon|FRA}} Sylvie Jung Henrotin || 6–3, 6–3
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1935 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1935 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon Championships]] || Grass || {{flagicon|GER|Nazi}} [[Hilde Krahwinkel]] || {{flagicon|GBR}} Freda James <br/> {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Kay Stammers]] || 1–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1936 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1936 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|GBR}} Billie Yorke || {{flagicon|POL}} [[Jadwiga Jędrzejowska]] <br/> {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Susan Noel]] || 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1937 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1937 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|GBR}} Billie Yorke || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Dorothy Andrus <br/>  {{flagicon|FRA}} Sylvie Jung Henrotin || 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1937 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1937 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon Championships]] || Grass || {{flagicon|GBR}} Billie Yorke || {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Phyllis King]] <br/> {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Elsie Goldsack]] || 6–3, 6–3
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1938 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1938 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|GBR}} Billie Yorke || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nelly Adamson]] <br/> {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Arlette Halff]] || 6–3, 6–3
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1938 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1938 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon Championships]] || Grass || {{flagicon|GBR}} Billie Yorke || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Sarah Palfrey <br/> {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Alice Marble]] || 2–6, 3–6
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1938 || style="background:#ccf;"|[[1938 U.S. National Championships (tennis)|US Championships]] || Grass || {{flagicon|POL}} Jadwiga Jędrzejowska || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Sarah Palfrey <br/> {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Alice Marble || 8–6, 4–6, 3–6
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1939 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1939 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|POL}} Jadwiga Jędrzejowska || {{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Alice Florian]] <br/> {{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Hella Kovac]] || 7–5, 7–5
|}

===Mixed doubles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)===
{|class="sortable wikitable"
!style="width:40px"|Result
!style="width:35px"|Year
!style="width:180px"|Championship
!style="width:50px"|Surface
!style="width:170px"|Partner
!style="width:170px"|Opponents
!style="width:110px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1937 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1937 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Yvon Petra]] || {{flagicon|GER|Nazi}} [[Marie-Louise Horn|Marie-Luise Horn]] <br/> {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Roland Journu]] || 7–5, 7–5
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1937 || style="background:#cfc;"|[[1937 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon Championships]] || Grass || {{flagicon|FRA}} Yvon Petra || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Alice Marble]] <br/> {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]] || 1–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || 1938 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1938 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Dragutin Mitić]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Nancye Wynne Bolton]] <br/> {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Christian Boussus]] || 2–6, 6–3, 6–4
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || 1939 || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[1939 French Championships (tennis)|French Championships]] || Clay || {{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Franjo Kukuljević]] || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Sarah Palfrey]] <br/> {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Elwood Cooke]] || 6–4, 1–6, 5–7
|}

==Grand Slam singles performance timeline==
{{performance key|short=yes|active=no}}
{|class="wikitable"
! Tournament !! 1925 !! 1926 !! 1927 !! 1928 !! 1929 !! 1930 !! 1931 !! 1932 !! 1933 !! 1934 !! 1935 !! 1936 !! 1937 !! 1938 !! 1939 !! 1940 !! 1941 – 1944 !! 1945 !! 1946<sup>1</sup> !! Career SR
|-
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | [[Australian Open]]
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |NH
| align="center" |NH
| align="center" |A
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 0'''
|-
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | [[French Open|French Championships]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1925 French Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1926 French Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1927 French Championships – Women's singles|3R]]
| align="center" |A
| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | [[1929 French Championships – Women's singles|F]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1930 French Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1931 French Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | [[1932 French Championships – Women's singles|F]]
| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | [[1933 French Championships – Women's singles|F]]
| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | [[1934 French Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | [[1935 French Championships – Women's singles|F]]
| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | [[1936 French Championships – Women's singles|F]]
| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | [[1936 French Championships – Women's singles|F]]
| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | '''[[1938 French Championships – Women's singles|W]]'''
| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;" | '''[[1939 French Championships – Women's singles|W]]'''
| align="center" |NH
| align="center" |R
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''2 / 14'''
|-
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]
| align="center" |A
| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;" |[[1926 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1R]]
| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;" |[[1927 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|2R]]
| align="center" |A
| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;" |[[1929 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|3R]]
| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | [[1930 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | [[1931 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | [[1932 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;" |[[1933 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | [[1934 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;" |[[1935 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | [[1936 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
| align="center" style="background:yellow;" | [[1937 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|SF]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;" |[[1938 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;" |[[1939 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" |NH
| align="center" |NH
| align="center" |NH
| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;" |[[1946 Wimbledon Championships – Women's singles|1R]]
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 14'''
|-
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | [[US Open (tennis)|US Championships]]
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1938 U.S. National Championships – Women's singles|QF]]
| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1939 U.S. National Championships – Women's singles|1R]]
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" |A
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 2'''
|-
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | SR
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |1 / 3
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |1 / 3
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 0
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''2 / 30'''
|}

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under [[German military administration in occupied France during World War II|German occupation]].

<sup>1</sup>In 1946, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.

==See also==
* [[Tennis performance timeline comparison (women)|Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Tennis Hall of Fame}}

{{French Open women's singles champions}}
{{French Open women's doubles champions}}
{{Wimbledon women's doubles champions}}
{{French Open mixed doubles champions}}
{{International Tennis Hall of Fame members}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathieu, Simonne}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Neuilly-sur-Seine]]
[[Category:Tennis players from Hauts-de-Seine]]
[[Category:French female tennis players]]
[[Category:French Championships (tennis) champions]]
[[Category:Wimbledon champions (pre-Open Era)]]
[[Category:International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's singles]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's doubles]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles]]
[[Category:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery]]
[[Category:French Resistance members]]
[[Category:French military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:20th-century French sportswomen]]