Pauline Betz Addie

Pauline Betz Addie (b.1919), four-time U.S. singles champion in the 1940’s, was renowned for her peerless backhand and ‘killer instinct’. When international play resumed after World War II, Betz became one of a handful of champions to win on her first try at Wimbledon in 1946.

Raised in Los Angeles, Betz learned tennis on public courts. She was offered a scholarship by Rollins College where she played No. 4 on the men’s team and graduated as the top economics student in 1943. Letz later earned an M.A. in economics from Columbia University.

As an undergraduate in 1942, Betz won her first U.S. Open singles title. She repeated her victory in 1943 and 1944 and triumphed at both Wimbledon and Forest Hills in 1946. That year, she also played a key role on the U.S. Wightman Cup team, dubbed the ‘Betz Club.’

Betz turned professional in 1947, enjoying a 13-year undefeated career on tour with such notables as Don Budge and Bobby Riggs. In 1949, she married Washington Post sportswriter Bob Addie. After retiring as a player, she remained an active teaching professional while raising her five children. In 1990, she received the USTA’s Sarah Palfrey Danzig Award for her contributions to tennis.