Suzanne Lenglen 1899 – 1938

Biography

Suzanne Lenglen was born on May 24, 1899, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, where she would spend her entire life. A French tennis player of remarkable talent, she dedicated herself to the sport during a transformative era in women’s athletics. Her career unfolded during the early twentieth century, a time when women’s participation in competitive sports was still gaining recognition and acceptance in European society.

Throughout her life, Lenglen remained connected to her native Paris and the elegant neighborhood of her birth. She pursued her passion for tennis with the dedication that defined her character, contributing to the sport’s growing prominence in France. Her presence in the tennis world reflected the changing opportunities available to women athletes of her generation, helping to advance their place in international competition.

Suzanne Lenglen passed away on July 4, 1938, at the age of 38, succumbing to pernicious anemia. Her final years were spent in the same arrondissement where she had been born, surrounded by the familiar streets and culture of her beloved Paris. She was laid to rest at Saint-Ouen Cemetery, where her memory endures among those who remember her contributions to French tennis and her pioneering spirit as a woman athlete.