Marion Jones

Marion Jones was an American tennis player from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, best known for winning the women's singles titles at the U.S. Championships in 1899 and 1902.

She made history as the first American woman to win an Olympic medal at the strong text1900 Paris Games and was the first non-British woman to play at Wimbledon.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Marion Jones was born on November 2, 1879, in Gold Hill, Nevada, USA. She was the daughter of Nevada Senator John Percival Jones, who co-founded the town of Santa Monica, California. Her sister, Georgina Jones, was also a tennis player who competed in the 1900 Olympic tennis events.

She was mainly a baseline player who possessed a solid backhand and forehand, and her shots were known for their good accuracy.

In 1903, Jones married architect Robert D. Farquhar in New York City. They had three children. From 1920 until 1961, she was a well-known violinist and voice coach in Greenwich Village, where she also translated opera librettos and briefly headed the New York Chamber Opera. She passed away on March 14, 1965, in Los Angeles, California.

Professional Career

Jones was a dominant American tennis player at the turn of the 20th century. She won the women's singles titles at the U.S. Championships (now the US Open) in 1899 and 1902. In 1901, she won the U.S. mixed doubles title, and in 1902, she added a women's doubles title to her list of achievements.

In 1900, Jones became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal, taking home a bronze in singles at the Paris Games. She was also the first non-British woman to play at Wimbledon, where she reached the quarterfinals in 1900. Her sister, Georgina Jones, also competed in the Olympics that year.

In recognition of her pioneering career, she was posthumously inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.

Career Record

Singles

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Wimbledon – QF (1900)
• US Open – W (1899, 1902)

Doubles

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• US Open – W (1902)

Mixed Doubles

Best Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Performances

• US Open – W (1901)

Olympic Games

• Singles – W (1900)