Zsuzsa Körmöczy

Zsuzsa Körmöczy (25 August 1924 – 16 September 2006) was a female tennis player from Hungary. She reached a career high of World No. 2 in women's tennis, and won the 1958 French Open at the age of 34.

The native form of this personal name is Körmöczy Zsuzsa. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Zsuzsa Körmöczy
Country (sports) Hungary
Born(1924-08-25)25 August 1924
Budapest, Hungary[1]
Died16 September 2006(2006-09-16) (aged 82)
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 2 (1958)
Grand Slam Singles results
French OpenW (1958)
WimbledonSF (1958)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
French OpenSF (1948)
WimbledonQF (1955)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
French OpenSF (1947)
WimbledonQF (1947, 1951, 1953)

Early life

She was born in Pély, Hungary, and was Jewish.[2][3]

Tennis career

In Hungary, as a 16-year-old in 1940 she won the national doubles and mixed doubles titles, and she later won the national singles title six times, and the doubles or mixed doubles trophies 10 times.[4]

According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Körmöczy was ranked in the world top ten in 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1958 and again from 1959 through 1961 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1958 at the age of 34.[3][5]

She won the singles title at the 1958 French Championships at the age of 33 and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1958. She was named Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year in 1958 after having won the French Championships the same year. She became the first sportswoman granted this award. [3] She won eight of the nine tournaments she entered in 1958, and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon.[3] In 1959 she made Wimbledon’s ‘round of eight’, finishing sixth, and was the French Open Singles runner-up. [3]

She retired from competition in 1964 to work as a coach for Vasas (the Ironworker Union's Sports Club) and act as the national tennis association's manager. After the fall of communism, she was decorated by new democratic governments in 1994 and 2003.

In 2007, she was posthumously inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[4]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win 1958French ChampionshipsClay Shirley Bloomer6–4, 1–6, 6–2
Lost 1959French ChampionshipsClay Christine Truman4–6, 5–7

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
Tournament1947119481949 - 19511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964Career SR
Australian Championships A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 0
French Championships QF 2R A A A A 1R SF QF W F 3R SF 4R 1R 3R 1 / 12
Wimbledon 1R 4R A 3R QF A QF 4R 2R SF A 2R 4R 2R 2R 1R 0 / 13
U.S. Championships A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 2R A 0 / 1
SR 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 1 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 2 1 / 26

1In 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.

See also

References
  1. G.P. Hughes, ed. (1957). Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual 1957. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd. p. 331.
  2. In the land of Hagar: the Jews of Hungary : history, society and culture - Anna Szalai
  3. Suzy Kormoczy
  4. "Who Is The Greatest Jewish Female Tennis Player Of All Time?" | World Tennis Magazine
  5. Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 702–3. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.


Awards
Preceded by
New Award		 Hungarian Sportswoman of The Year
1958		 Succeeded by
Jenőné Pap
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