Use the menu below to read our biographies of the century's greatest sportswomen and then tell us who you think should be No. 1. Also, be sure to check out our expanded home page and our new issue which is on newsstands now.

1905-1998
Winner of 31 Grand Slam titles

Wills Moody was all business on the court.  Durant Collection

An icy cool customer on the court, Helen Wills Moody was known as "Little Miss Poker Face". No tennis player ever wanted to win more and not many did. The daughter of a prominent and wealthy California doctor, Wills grew up playing tennis at the posh Berkeley Tennis Club. She became so good at the game so fast that her father arranged for her to take private lessons. Preferring to hit with men to improve her power game, Wills had a heavy serve and booming ground strokes off both sides. She won her first U.S. singles title in 1923 at the age of 17, and the following year took home gold in both singles and doubles at the Paris Olympic Games.

Of all her memorable matches --including those played during her 15-year rivalry with Helen Jacobs-- one stood above the rest. In 1926, with the world clamoring for her to play French champion Suzanne Lenglen, 20-year-old Wills traveled to France to face La Belle Suzanne, six years her senior. With fans perched on ladders above a sold-out crowd at the Carlton Club in Cannes, Lenglen proved the 6-3, 8-6 winner. Motivated by that loss, Wills held the No. 1 world ranking for eight years and did not lose a set from 1927 to '33. She captured a total of 31 career Grand Slam titles, including 19 in singles. Her dominance of Wimbledon was particularly remarkable. Wills won eight singles titles at the All-England Club between 1927 and '38, second only to Martina Navratilova (nine). Wills also held the No. 1 world ranking for eight years and did not lose a set from 1927 to '33. In the early 1930s, Wills married and in 1938 she played her last major tournament, but not before bringing unprecedented and well-deserved attention to women's tennis.

They Said It: "I wish I could have played Suzanne one more time but she turned professional. And that was all there was to it." -- Wills

-- Richard Deitsch

Athletes were selected by Sports Illustrated For Women, Sports Illustrated and CNN/SI editors, writers and correspondents who considered the athletes' on-field performance and achievements, plus their contributions to women's sports. Because athletic achievement was a key criterion, women whose contributions were made solely in administration and coaching are not included.

Copyright © 2000 CNN/Sports Illustrated. An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.