Simonne Passemard

One of France’s finest female champions, Simonne Mathieu at last captured the French Singles Championships in 1938 and 1939, after reaching the finals six times between 1929 and 1937. In those finals, she lost three times to Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling, twice to Helen Wills Moody, and once to Margaret Scriven-Vivian.

Sturdy and efficient, Mathieu had great focus and stamina. Primarily a baseliner, Mathieu was nevertheless skilled at the net, building an outstanding record in doubles which included four triumphs at the French Championships. In 1938, she completed a rare “triple” at Roland Garros, sweeping the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

Mathieu won 11 Grand Slam doubles championships: three women's doubles titles at Wimbledon (1933–34, 1937), six women's doubles titles at the French Championships (1933–34, 1936–39), and two mixed doubles titles at the French Championships (1937–38). She completed the rare triple at the French Championships in 1938, winning the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles.

Mathieu's 13 Grand Slam titles are second only to Suzanne Lenglen's 31 among French women.

According to A. Wallis Myers and John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail respectively, Mathieu was ranked in the world top ten from 1929 through 1939 (no rankings were issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of world No. 3 in 1932.

The winners' trophy of the Women's Doubles event at the French Open is named in her honour as the Coupe Simone-Mathieu.

During the Second World War, Mathieu was head of the Corps Féminin Français, the women's branch of the Free French Forces, similar to the British Auxiliary Territorial Service. She received the title of Officier de la Légion d'honneur.

She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.