Mary Browne

Mary Kendall Browne (June 3, 1891 – August 19, 1971) was the first American female professional tennis player, a World No. 1 amateur tennis player, and an amateur golfer. She was born in Ventura County, California, United States.

She was born on June 3, 1891.

According to A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Browne was ranked in the world top ten in 1921 (when the rankings began), 1924, and 1926, reaching a career high of World No. 3 in those rankings in 1921. Browne was included in the year-end top ten rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association in 1913 (when the rankings began), 1914, 1921, 1924, and 1925. She was the top ranked U.S. player in 1914.

She took part in the 1925 and 1926 editions of the Wightman Cup, an annual women's team tennis competition between the United States and Great Britain.

Browne was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1957.

Browne had been playing golf for only a few years when at the 1924 U.S. Women's Amateur, she was runner-up to champion Dorothy Campbell Hurd.

• French Championships
  • Singles runner-up: 1926
• Wimbledon
  • Women's Doubles champion': 1926
  • Mixed Doubles runner-up: 1926
• U.S. Championships
  • Singles champion: 1912, 1913, 1914
  • Singles runner-up: 1921
  • Women's Doubles champion: 1912, 1913, 1914, 1921, 1925
  • Women's Doubles runner-up: 1926
  • Mixed Doubles champion: 1912, 1913, 1914, 1921

Singles (3 titles, 2 runners-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1912	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Eleonora Sears	6–4, 6–2
Winner	1913	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Dorothy Green	6–2, 7–5
Winner	1914	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Marie Wagner	6–2, 1–6, 6–1
Runner-up	1921	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Molla Mallory	6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Runner-up	1926	French Championships	Clay	Suzanne Lenglen	1–6, 0–6

Doubles (6 titles, 1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1912	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Dorothy Green	Maud Barger-Wallach Mrs. Frederick Schmitz	6–2, 5–7, 6–0
Winner	1913	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Louise Riddell Williams	Dorothy Green Edna Wildey	12–10, 2–6, 6–3
Winner	1914	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Louise Riddell Williams	Louise Raymond Edna Wildey	10–8, 6–2
Winner	1921	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Louise Riddell Williams	Helen Gilleaudeau Mrs. L.G. Morris	6–3, 6–2
Winner	1925	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Helen Wills	May Sutton Bundy Elizabeth Ryan	6–4, 6–3
Winner	1926	Wimbledon	Grass	Elizabeth Ryan	Evelyn Colyer Kitty McKane Godfree	6–1, 6–1
Runner-up	1926	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Charlotte Chapin	Eleanor Goss Elizabeth Ryan	6–3, 4–6, 10–12

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

¹Through 1923, the French Championships were open only to French nationals. The World Hard Court Championships (WHCC), actually played on clay in Paris or Brussels, began in 1912 and were open to all nationalities. The results from that tournament are shown here from 1912 through 1914 and from 1920 through 1923. The Olympics replaced the WHCC in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris. Beginning in 1925, the French Championships were open to all nationalities, with the results shown here beginning with that year.