The year 1929 in tennis was a complex mixture of mainly amateur tournaments composed of international, invitational, national, exhibition, and team (city leagues, country leagues, international knock-out tournaments) events and joined by regional professional tournaments limited mostly to British, German, French and American Pro events.
The professionals were mostly coaches who coached for a living, while amateur rules prohibited tennis players to benefit financially from playing. There were a few occasional professional against amateur challenges as well held in team competition format. The amateur events were almost all all-comers' event and the majority included a mixed title contest. The women's most successful players in the European international championships were Esna Boyd of Australia and two players from the United States Elizabeth Ryan who was thuspunished by the United States Lawn Tennis Association for her commitment to European events compared to those in the U.S. and Helen Wills Moody who won the two most prestigious tournaments in Europe, the French Championships and Wimbledon. The Four Musketeers dominated the rankings and tournaments worldwide. Also the Australian Championships was won by a British player, Colin Gregory.
The most important team cups were the Wightman Cup for women and the Davis Cup (called the International Lawn Tennis Challenge) and the Mitre Cup (South American version of the Davis Cup) for men. The 1929 Wightman Cup was its seventh edition and was organized by the United States Lawn Tennis Association between the teams of Great Britain and the United States. The 1929 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was its 24th edition and was organized by the International Tennis Federation. The tournament was split into the American and European zones. The winner of each sub-zone played in an Inter-Zonal Final. 24 teams entered the Europe Zone (including South Africa and Chile), while five nations participated in the America Zone. The United States defeated Cuba in the America Zone, but would then lose to France in the challenge round, giving France their third straight title. The final was played at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, on July 26–28.
Key
This list includes men and women international tournaments (where at least several different nations were represented), main (annual) national championships, professional tour events and the Davis, Mitre, Wightman Cup.
January
German Davis Cup player Georg Demasius turned professional.[2]
Great Britain beat West Australia nine to one.[26]
Bill Tilden's amateur status, which was suspended from last November was requalified by the USTLA in Boston. His US number one ranking was also due to be regiven to him. He was scheduled to sail to Europe on 8 May alongside Francis Hunter to register for the Wimbledon and French Championships. However, it was also announced that none of them would be a part of the American Davis Cup team for its upcoming matches.[27][28]
Jean Borotra was awarded permanently the US national indoors trophy after he won the tournament three consecutive times.[44]
Georges Glasser and André Martin-Legeay were promoted to the premier amateur tour by the Fédération Française de Tennis after both players reached the final of the French Criterium Tournament, a B category trials competition. They were allowed to enter first -class international tournaments onwards.[45]
Paul Féret returned to playing this month after his requalification back from professional status.[45]
Italian champion Lucia Valerio won her first titles in Menton (mixed doubles) and in Sanremo in singles.[46]
The Romanian tennis authority split into two factions. All the clubs left the Federation of Sportive Societies in Romania and formed a Union of lawn tennis clubs headed by prominent Davis Club players such as Nicolae Mişu and László Dörner. It still remained an open question whether it'd be recognized by the ILTF.[47]
The following rule changes were adapted by the ILTF:[48]
"The Server shall not by the following movements of his feet be deemed "to change his position by walking or running:
Slight movements of the feet which do not materially affect the location originally taken up by him.
An unrestricted movement of one foot so long as the other foot maintains continuously its original contact with the ground.
At no time during the delivery of the service (i.e. from the taking up of the stance to the moment of impact of the racket and the ball) may both feet be off the ground simultaneously.
The word "feet" means the extremities of the legs below the ankles and at all times during the delivery of the service (as before described) every part of such extremities must be behind (i.e. further from the net than) the base line."
April
Danish Davis cup player Axel Petersen turned pro after a dispute with his own Danish Tennis Association on the refund of his travel costs. He immediately became the coach of the Norway Davis Cup team.[67]
The German and English Davis Cup trials were held.[67]
The pre-order for the Wimbledon Championships tickets exceeded 18,000 reservations, which was a 5,500 boost from previous year, while the actual seats were only at 3,500. The reservations required pre-payment. The anticipated income would have been $117,879, 49% uprise from 1928, if not for the money back guarantee for the overbooking, which totalled at $94,969 thus the predicted cash-in was just $22,910.[67][41]
Kathleen McKane Godfree announced her withdrawal from the Wimbledon Championships due to health issues.[68]
May
The mixed French-German team meeting resulted in an overwhelming French victory. Only Christian Boussus lost a match.[2]
The International Lawn Tennis Federation declared that it acknowledged only the Federation of Sportive Societies in Romania as the Romanian tennis governing body and only its member clubs are authorized to organize tennis events and prohibited players to enter any tournament, which weren't endorsed by the Romanian federation.[86]
The British ladies' team beat the South Africans'.[86]
The Czechoslovakia Davis Cup team lost two non Davis-Cup matches in a row to Hungary (3-2)[101] and South Africa (5-2).[102]
August
Italian and French teams played a tie in Evian. None of the Four Musketeers participated.[115]
Elizabeth Ryan was expelled off the United States Wightman Cup team because of her excessive commitment to European tournaments. Despite the appeal of Helen Wills Moody Ryan was declared stateless in terms of tennis.[116]
The French won the annual France-England covered court meeting in Queen's Club. Apart from the official programme the highlight was a Borotra-Tilden match, which also booked a French victory.[135]
These are the rankings compiled and published by Helen Wills Moody, world number one female player in March and A. Wallis Myers founder of the International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain in September.
Men's singles
Women's singles
Notes
abGeorge Lyttleton-Rogers was an Irish player but the rules of the Butler Trophy and Nations Cup required players to be of the same nationality thus Rogers represented Great Britain on those two occasions.
c Due to constant rain the South of France tournament was postponed to March and this year it was merged with the annual Parc Imperial L.T.C. de Nice tournament.
e Lo Sport Fascista switches the results of Sanremo and Bordighera. It is apparent in their chronological order and match outcomes.
Footnotes
^Garcia, Gabriel (2018). "Tennis season summary 1929". thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SAL. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x yTennisz és Golf I/2, pp. 41, 43, 48, 50, 51.
^International Tennis Hall of Fame website.
^ a b c d eLe Figaro 1, p. 5.
^Le Petit Niçois 1, p. 3.
^ a b cLe Figaro 2, p. 4.
^ a b cLe Petit Niçois 8, p. 3.
^ a bLe Figaro 11, p. 7.
^The Sydney Morning Herald 28,398, p. 12.
^ a b cLe Figaro 366, p. 5.
^Le Figaro 3, p. 5.
^New Zealand Truth 1,206, p. 14.
^ a btennisnz.com website.
^Dundee Courier; 23,590/21,183.
^ a bLe Figaro 15, p. 5.
^Le Figaro 40, p. 5.
^australianopen.com website.
^Le Figaro 27, p. 5.
^ a b cLe Figaro 28, p. 4.
^Le Figaro 21, p. 5.
^ a b c dLe Figaro 22, p. 5.
^The Brownsville Herald, p. 32.
^Le Figaro 29, p. 6.
^Le Figaro 31, p. 6.
^ a bLe Figaro 36, p. 6.
^ a b cLe Figaro 38, p. 5.
^Le Figaro 41, p. 5.
^ a bLe Figaro 316, p. 5.
^ a bThe Straits Times 1930, p. 13.
^L'Impartial 14,816, p. 1.
^Le Figaro 37, p. 5.
^ a b cLe Figaro 43, p. 5.
^ a b cLe Figaro 44, p. 4.
^Le Figaro 45, p. 7.
^ a b c dLe Figaro 46, p. 7.
^ a bLe Figaro 47, p. 6.
^ a b c d e f g hTennisz és Golf I/13, pp. 312–314.
^ a bLe Figaro 56, p. 5.
^Wallis Myers (1930), p. 284.
^ a b c d eLe Figaro 57, p. 6.
^ a b cLe Figaro 59, p. 6.
^ a bThe Guardian website.
^Singapore Free Press 12,686, p. 4.
^ a b c d eLe Figaro 85, p. 9.
^ a bLe Figaro 86, p. 6.
^ a bLo Sport Fascista II/4, p. 100.
^ a bLe Gaulois 18,793, p. 6.
^Moss 1949, p. 112.
^The Sydney Morning Herald 28,443, p. 15.
^ a b c dLe Figaro 64, p. 6.
^ a b cLe Figaro 66, p. 5.
^ a bLe Figaro 65, p. 6.
^Le Petit Niçois 64, p. 2.
^ a bLe Petit Niçois 65, p. 2.
^ a b cLe Figaro 70, p. 6.
^ a bLe Figaro 71, p. 6.
^ a bLe Figaro 72, p. 5.
^Advocate 70, p. 7.
^ a b cLe Figaro 73, p. 5.
^L'Éclaireur 69, p. 6.
^ a b cLe Figaro 84, p. 9.
^ a bEscanaba Daily Press 288, p. 15.
^La Stampa 66, p. 4.
^ a b c dLe Figaro 78, p. 7.
^ a b cLe Figaro 79, p. 5.
^Le Gaulois 18,795, p. 6.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t uTennisz és Golf I/1, pp. 14–16.
^Le Figaro 91, p. 6.
^ a bLe Figaro 92, p. 6.
^Le Figaro 100, p. 6.
^Le Figaro 94, p. 6.
^Le Figaro 98, p. 6.
^ a bLe Figaro 99, p. 9.
^The Straits Times 29,075, p. 13.
^ a bThe Argus 23,817, p. 10.
^ a b c dL'Éclaireur 112, p. 2.
^L'Éclaireur 118, p. 2.
^Le Figaro 120, p. 9.
^ a bYorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer; 25,519.
^Le Figaro 124, p. 11.
^ a b cSpanish Tennis Federation website.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k lTennisz és Golf I/3, pp. 65–68, 80.
^Hereng & De Veene 2004, pp. 152–155.
^Le Figaro 142, p. 11.
^Le Figaro 149, p. 10.
^ a b c d e f g hTennisz és Golf I/4, pp. 104, 106–107.
^ a b c d e fTennisz és Golf I/5, p. 132.
^vdt-tennis.de website.
^ a bLe Figaro 169, p. 8.
^ a bSmith 2013, p. 48.
^Smith 2013, p. 64.
^Western Morning News; 21,598.
^Le Figaro 172, p. 10.
^ a bFeuille d'Avis de Neuchâtel 191/143, p. 4.
^Le Figaro 175, p. 7.
^Gillmeister 1998, p. 259.
^Nauright 2012, p. 214.
^Tennisz és Golf I/5, p. 119.
^Tennisz és Golf I/6, p. 160.
^Tennisz és Golf I/7, p. 184.
^Tennisz és Golf I/7, p. 170.
^ a b c dTennisz és Golf I/7, p. 186.
^ a b cTennisz és Golf I/6, p. 158.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/6, p. 159.
^Escanaba Daily Press 07, p. 12.
^ a b cTennisz és Golf I/13, p. 307.
^Le Figaro 204, p. 7.
^ a b c dAberdeen Journal, July 22.
^Dundee Courier; 23,753/21,346.
^Western Daily Press; 23,931.
^Dundee Courier; 23,758/21,351.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/7, p. 187.
^ a bThe Kansas City Star, July 28.
^ a b cWinnipeg Tribune, July 29.
^ a b c d eTennisz és Golf I/10, p. 253.
^The Straits Times 22 August, p. 13.
^ a bSanta Cruz Evening News, 44/92.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/8, p. 198.
^Feuille d'Avis de Neuchâtel 191/197, p. 4.
^New York Age 42/51, p. 6.
^ a b c dLe Figaro 261, p. 8.
^Tennisz és Golf I/9, p. 226.
^Tennisz és Golf I/10, p. 255.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/11, p. 267.
^Tennisz és Golf I/11, p. 272.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/12, p. 287.
^Tennisz és Golf I/12, p. 292.
^The Straits Times 1929, p. 5.
^ a b cTennisz és Golf I/9, p. 223.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/9, p. 224.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/11, p. 266.
^ a b cTennisz és Golf I/10, p. 247.
^Tennisz és Golf I/10, p. 248.
^Feuille d'Avis de Neuchâtel 191/221, p. 4.
^ a b c d eTennisz és Golf I/12, p. 293.
^ a b cTennisz és Golf I/12, p. 294.
^Greeley Daily Tribune, XXII/68.
^Wallis Myers (1930), pp. 313–314.
^Singapore Free Press 12,833, p. 13.
^Tennisz és Golf I/15-16, p. 349.
^Wallis Myers (1930), pp. 319–320.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/13, p. 312.
^Tennisz és Golf I/12, p. 284.
^A Noite; 20/6821.
^Blanco y Negro; 39/2008.
^ a bTennisz és Golf I/15-16, p. 350.
^Wallis Myers (1930), pp. 290–291.
^Tennisz és Golf I/15-16, p. 348.
^The Straits Times 12,912, p. 9.
^New York Times; Frederick C. Inman, Retired broker, dies.
^New York Times; Lenglen a. saleslady in paris dress shop.
^New York Times; Mexico's net team keeps Hidalgo cup.
^The Canberra Times 4/481.
^ a bLe Figaro 262, p. 8.
Works cited
Online media
"1929 Australian Championships". australianopen.com. Melbourne: Tennis Australia. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
"Tennis New Zealand Roll of Honor". tennisnz.com. Tennis New Zealand. p. 14.
"1920–1929". vdt-tennis.de (in German). Essen, Germany: Verband Deutscher Tennislehrer (Association of German tennis coaches). Retrieved 25 January 2014.
Smith, Phillip S. (2013). "From Club Court to Center Court;The Evolution of Professional Tennis in Cincinnati" (PDF). White Plains, New York, United States: United States Tennis Association.
"Hall of Famers – Wilfred Baddeley". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
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Hereng, Jacques; De Veene, Carlos (2004). De ongelofelijke successtory van tennis in België [The story of the incredible success of tennis in Belgium]. Tielt, Belgium: Lannoo Uitgeverij. pp. 152–155. ISBN 9789020955972. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
Nauright, John (2012). Sports around the World. Santa Barbara, United States: ABC-CLIO. p. 214. ISBN 9781598843019. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
Moss, Major T (1949). Lawn Tennis. London, United Kingdom: Allen & Unwin. pp. 112. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
Gillmeister, Heiner (1998). Tennis: A Cultural History. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 255–259. ISBN 9781441171016. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
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"Tennisz és golf" (PDF) (11). October 10, 1929. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
"Tennisz és golf" (PDF) (12). October 25, 1929. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
"Les dix meilleurs jouers de tennis du monde" [The best ten players of the world] (262). September 19, 1929: 8. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Albert Lejeune, ed. (1929). "1929 season". Le Petit Niçois (in French). 50.
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"Tennis sur la Côte d'Azur" [Tennis at the Côte d'Azur] (64). March 5, 1929: 2. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
"Tennis sur la Côte d'Azur" [Tennis at the Côte d'Azur] (65). March 6, 1929: 2. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
"Hunter Wins Florida Title" (PDF). The Advocate (70). Burnie, Tasmania, Australia: 7. 11 March 1919. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
"Tennis sur la Côte d'Azur" [Tennis at the Côte d'Azur]. L'Éclaireur (in French). 48 (69). Nice, France: Agençe Havas: 6. 10 March 1929. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
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"Mercur, Hall win". Escanaba Daily Press. XXI (7). Escanaba, United States: 12. July 11, 1929.
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Henderson, Jon (27 March 2005). "Two thousand strokes – one point". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
"Rachette italiane sulla riviera" [Tennis on the Italian Riviera]. Lo Sport Fascista (in Italian). II (4). Milan, Italy: Lando Ferretti: 100. April 1929. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
"Lawn-Tennis". Le Gaulois (in French). 64 (18,793). Paris, France: 6. 20 March 1929. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
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"Tennis sur la Côte d'Azur" [Tennis at the Côte d'Azur]. L'Éclaireur (in French). 48 (112). Nice, France: Agençe Havas: 2. 22 April 1929. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
"Tennis sur la Côte d'Azur" [Tennis at the Côte d'Azur]. L'Éclaireur (in French). 48 (118). Nice, France: Agençe Havas: 2. 28 April 1929. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
"Les championnats nattionaux à Lucerne" [National Championships in Luzern] (PDF). Feuille d'Avis de Neuchâtel (in French). 191 (143). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: 4. 24 June 1929. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
"Tournoi international à Montreux" [International Championships in Montreux] (PDF). Feuille d'Avis de Neuchâtel (in French). 191 (221). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: 4. 23 September 1929. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
"Lawn-tennis" (PDF). Feuille d'Avis de Neuchâtel (in French). 191 (197). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: 4. 26 August 1929. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
"Une nouvelle étoile du tennis nous vient de l'Inde" [New tennis star arrives here from India] (PDF). L'Impartial (in French). 49 (14,816). La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland: 1. 2 May 1929. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
"Big Bill Tilden Beats George Lott". Santa Cruz Evening News. 44 (92). Santa Cruz, California, United States: Devlin and Judah Co.: 1 July 28, 1929. OCLC 40192810.
"Description of Finals in Pacific Tennis Meet Given by Greeley Man". Greeley Daily Tribune. XXII (68). Greeley, Colorado, United States: 9. October 9, 1929. OCLC 13073246.
