Betty Nuthall
A teenage tennis prodigy from England who smashed her way to a historic U.S. Championship victory in 1930.
1911–1983 (age 72)·English tennis player·Birthday: May 23·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Betty Nuthall arrived on the international tennis scene with the force of her own formidable forehand. As a teenager in the late 1920s, she became a fixture in the world's top ten, her game a blend of power and youthful audacity that captivated spectators. Her defining moment came at Forest Hills in 1930, where she captured the U.S. Championships singles title, a feat that made her the first non-American woman to win the tournament. Though she never secured a Wimbledon crown, Nuthall remained a formidable competitor throughout the early 1930s, her career representing a bridge between the sport's amateur era and its emerging modern intensity. Her legacy is that of a trailblazer who proved European players could triumph on the biggest American stages.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Betty was born in 1911, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Betty Was Born
The biggest hits of 1911
Betty's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1911Born
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1916Started school
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Became a teenager
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Could drive
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1929Could vote
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Turned 21
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1941Turned 30
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 40
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 50
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 60
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 70
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Died at 72
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
Key Achievements
- Became the first non-American woman to win the U.S. Championships singles title in 1930.
- Achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 4 in 1929.
- Ranked among the world's top ten female players in five separate years between 1927 and 1933.
- Won multiple doubles titles at the U.S. Championships and the French Championships.
Did You Know?
She was known by the childhood nickname 'Bunny'.
She won the U.S. Championships at just 19 years old.
Her father reportedly built a private tennis court for her to practice on.
She later worked for the British government during World War II.
“The ball came to my forehand, and I just hit it as hard as I could.”
