Godfree, Kitty

Kitty Godfree, byname of Kathleen McKane Godfree, née Kathleen McKane, (born May 7, 1896, London, Eng.—died June 19, 1992, London), British tennis player, a dominant figure in women’s tennis in the 1920s who won two singles titles at the All-England Championships at Wimbledon, five doubles titles in Grand Slam events, and five Olympic medals, including a gold in women’s doubles at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belg.

Godfree lost the 1923 All-England final to Suzanne Lenglen of France, but she returned the next year to become the only woman ever to beat American Helen Wills at Wimbledon. At the same tournament, she won the mixed doubles championship with her partner Jack Gilbert. In 1926 she repeated her feat, again winning both the singles and the mixed doubles, this time paired with her husband, Leslie Godfree. She won the U.S. championships in women’s doubles (1923 and 1927) and in mixed doubles (1925). She represented England in the Wightman Cup series every year until 1934, when she retired with a 17-year career total of 46 singles and 107 doubles titles. She was also All-England badminton champion four times in the early 1920s and was a member of the national lacrosse team in 1918. She was made a vice president of the All-England Club in 1989.