Hall of Fame Professional Tennis Player. She was one of the top female tennis players during the late 1950s and 1960s. She also won nineteen major tournament titles during her career (seven of which were singles titles). Born Maria Ester Audion Bueno, she began playing tennis at about the age of six. She won her first tournament at São Paulo at age twelve and the women's tennis championship of Brazil at fifteen. In 1958, she won her first major doubles title at the Wimbledon with partner Althea Gibson. She would go on to capture eleven more major doubles titles and the Grand Slam for doubles titles in 1960 (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and the U.S.). She also captured the mixed doubles title at the French Open in 1960 with partner Bob Howe. In 1959, she won both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles titles. She went on to win two more Wimbledon championships (1960, 1964) and three U.S. Open championships (1963, 1964, and 1966). In 1959, she was ranked as the number one female tennis player in the world. She would later hold this ranking three more times (1960, 1964, and 1966). In the late 1960s, she retired due to injuries, but came back to the sport in 1975. She retired completely from tennis in 1977. In 1978, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She later contributed to Brazilian broadcasts of the major tennis events. She passed away after battling mouth cancer. She is buried at the Consolação Cemetery in São Paulo, Brazil.
Hall of Fame Professional Tennis Player. She was one of the top female tennis players during the late 1950s and 1960s. She also won nineteen major tournament titles during her career (seven of which were singles titles). Born Maria Ester Audion Bueno, she began playing tennis at about the age of six. She won her first tournament at São Paulo at age twelve and the women's tennis championship of Brazil at fifteen. In 1958, she won her first major doubles title at the Wimbledon with partner Althea Gibson. She would go on to capture eleven more major doubles titles and the Grand Slam for doubles titles in 1960 (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and the U.S.). She also captured the mixed doubles title at the French Open in 1960 with partner Bob Howe. In 1959, she won both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles titles. She went on to win two more Wimbledon championships (1960, 1964) and three U.S. Open championships (1963, 1964, and 1966). In 1959, she was ranked as the number one female tennis player in the world. She would later hold this ranking three more times (1960, 1964, and 1966). In the late 1960s, she retired due to injuries, but came back to the sport in 1975. She retired completely from tennis in 1977. In 1978, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She later contributed to Brazilian broadcasts of the major tennis events. She passed away after battling mouth cancer. She is buried at the Consolação Cemetery in São Paulo, Brazil.
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
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