Sarah Palfrey Fayban Cooke Danzig

Sarah Hammond Palfrey Fayben Cooke Danzig was in no doubt the sweetheart of tennis in her time. She became the international figure at both the Atlantic and West Pacific. She was naturally a protégé of Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman with her one-in-a-million smile and well-manners whether in defeat or in victory. She had 2 championship titles, 3 runner-up titles, 9 U.S doubles titles and 2 doubles titles in the Wimbledon.

Sarah was born and grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts, U.S. She was born on September 18, 1912 and died on February 27, 1996 in New York City. She came from a brood of professional tennis player, calling themselves as the five Palfrey sisters. Each has one U.S. junior title to take pride of but it was only Sarah who advanced herself to the international scene.

Sarah made her first appearance in 1928 at Forest Hills. It was only in 1942, her 13th campaign, that she fully participated in tennis events. She was the best pick in doubles team. She teamed with Jacobs 7 times in the Wightman Cup, at least 3 times with Alice Marble and once together with Helen Wills Moody. She was equally popular in the singles category when she maintained in the top 10 for more than thirteen times and in the top 3 at least times.

She took a break in 1941 because she bore a child and she committed much of her time to her husband, Elwood Cooke, then serving the military. Cooke later on became a finalist in the 1939 Wimbledon. It was only in 1945 that Sarah jumped back to compete in tennis again and then won the U.S. Open.

Aside from playing, Sarah also wrote books and articles in magazines on tennis. She was also the Mrs. Jerry Danzig of New York, a very successful business executive. She was eventually voted to the 1963 International Tennis Hall of Fame.