With Wimbledon starting today, the eyes of the tennis world will be on the latest Grand Slam. Wimbledon is one of the most well-renowned sporting events in the world. In its incredible history, there have been several moments to cherish, while some of the game’s greats have passed through the fabled courts. While in the women’s game the focus if often on the likes of Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Steffi Graf and Margaret Court but to name a few, there is one player, sadly forgotten, that may just have gone on to be the greatest of the lot. Sadly it’s a near-forgotten story – the tale of Maureen Connolly – known as ‘Little Mo’.
Maureen Connolly was born in San Diego, California in 1934. While horseback riding was her first main passion, difficulty in paying for the associated costs meant that Connolly took up tennis – a decision which would go on to reap considerable rewards. By the age of 15 she had become the youngest player in history to have won the U.S. National Championship for girls under the age of 18.
1951 was the break-through year for Connolly. At the 1951 U.S. Open, Connolly became the youngest winner of the event of all time. While this was a fantastic year, 1952 resulted even better for her. Wimbledon and the U.S. Open were claimed. Five grand slam starts – three wins, all at the tender age of 18. By now, Connolly was well on her way to becoming a star.
1953 was the highlight of her career. She made her first appearances at both the Australian and French Opens, winning both – a remarkable achievment. She followed this up with a second successive Wimbledon and third successive U.S. Open. By achieving these four wins, she became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments during the same calendar year.
She missed the 1954 Australian Open, but returned for the French Open, which she won, alongside a third successive Wimbledon title. From eleven grand slam starts – she achieved nine victories – a fantastic record. Astonishingly, she won nine majors in a row between 1952 and 1954 – a run of 50 consecutive single match victories.
While it seemed a long career lay ahead – tragedy would follow. Just two weeks after winning the 1954 Wimbledon Championship, while out horseback riding, a passing cement mixer truck frightened her horse, eventually causing Connolly to be thrown. The result of the incident was a compound fracture to her right fibula, which ended her fledging career aged just 19. In the coming years, she would continue to be involved in tennis-related activities. However, in 1966, Connolly was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 1969, Connolly passed away.
There is no telling quite what Connolly would have achieved. The fact she won nine grand slam titles before even hitting 20 is an achievement never seen before, and one likely to be never seen again. There is a very good chance that she would have gone on to at least match the record of Margaret Court, if not win more. It is such a shame that this event happened – but her achievements should never, and will never, be forgotten.
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Millicent Faith 