Quick Facts
Biography
Phoebe Catherine Holcroft Watson (née Holcroft; 7 October 1898 – 20 October 1980) was a tennis player from the United Kingdom whose best result in singles was reaching the final of the U.S. Championships in 1929, losing to Helen Wills in straight sets. According to A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Watson was ranked in the world top ten in 1926 and from 1928 through 1930, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in 1929.
Watson won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1928 and 1929 and at the US Championships in 1929, all with partner Peggy Saunders Michell. Her other Grand Slam title was the women's doubles at the French Championships in 1928 with partner Eileen Bennett.
She was part of the British team that won the Wightman Cup against the United States in 1928 and 1930.
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1929 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Helen Wills | 4–6, 2–6 |
Doubles: 5 (4 titles, 1 runners-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1927 | French Championships | Clay |  Peggy Saunders Michell |  Irene Bowder Peacock Bobbie Heine | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 1928 | French Championships | Clay | Eileen Bennett |  Suzanne Deve Sylvie Jung | 6–0, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1928 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Peggy Saunders Michell | Ermyntrude Harvey Eileen Bennett | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 1929 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Peggy Saunders Michell | Phyllis Covell Dorothy Shepherd | 6–4, 8–6 |
| Winner | 1929 | US National Championships | Grass | Peggy Saunders Michell | Phyllis Covell Dorothy Shepherd | 2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| France1 | A | NH | A | A | 3R | 2R | QF | QF | 0 / 4 |
| Wimbledon | 1R | 3R | 1R | 3R | QF | QF | 3R | 1R | 0 / 8 |
| United States | A | A | A | A | A | A | F | A | 0 / 1 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 13 |
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
1Until 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 the 1923 edition of that tournament are shown here. 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.