Charlotte Dod – The Incredible Superstar in The World of Women’s Sports.

Charlotte Dod – The Incredible Superstar in The World of Women’s Sports.
Kuntala Bhattacharya, 1999 Electronics & Tele Communication Engineering

An incredible skater, a superstar in the world of women’s sports, five times winner of Wimbledon singles championship; yes, it’s none other than Charlotte Dod. An iconic character, often known as “Lottie,” had defied all odds to dominate the so-called “not a lady-like game” and emerge victorious elegantly.

“As a rule, ladies are too lazy at tennis. They should learn to run and run their hardest, too, not merely stride. They would find, if they tried, that many a ball, seemingly out of reach, could be returned with ease; but instead of running hard they go a few steps and exclaim, Oh, I can’t and stop.”

That were the words from Charlotte, and she hit no excuses to stride ahead in achieving her feats in the world of tennis.

Born on 24th September 1871 at Bebington in Cheshire (a country in North England) to Joseph and Margaret Dod, Charlotte was the youngest among the four children. Her siblings excelled in sports and she herself was an excellent tennis player, ice skater, golfer, and a billiards player. Being a privileged member of an affluent family, she could pursue tennis from a tender age of nine in the tennis courts built near the family estate. Several Wimbledon champions frequented the parties organized by the Dod family, an opportunity for Charlotte to mingle with tennis stalwarts and instill a fascination for the game.

Her tennis career in the international arena instituted in 1883 when she participated in the Northern Championships in Manchester at the age of eleven. From then on, she continued her career participating in multiple championships. Her brilliant performances in each of the tournaments both for the doubles and singles events earned her the nickname of “Little Wonder”. With significant number of wins, and her ingenious master strokes gaining accolades, Charlotte decided to enter the Wimbledon championship in the year 1887. After a bye in the first round, she sailed smoothly throughout the entire championship to defeat Blanche Bingley, the defending champion. She was only 15 and half years old then, but she was indomitable. Charlotte went on dominating the tournament for seven years, even winning the doubles championship at Wimbledon from 1886 to 1888 and the mixed doubles in 1889 and 1892.

File photo: The ladies shake hands at the end of the Championship Match, Wimbledon, 1887

Women playing tennis during her times had to undergo considerable challenges in adhering to the rigid customary attire. The corsets, long sleeves, and long skirts handicapped the movements significantly. But Charlotte was granted freedom, approval to wear her striking uniform which somewhat resembled a school dress. The attire comprised of a calf-length dress coupled with black shoes and stockings. A white flannel cricket cap donning her black hair, exhibited a classic and stylish look. Her unconfined uniform was truly one of the trump cards against her opponents. Her movements around the tennis court were rapid, and reciprocations were swifter compared to others.

Many tend to argue whether the cue to her victory was her unfettered outfit. But the arguments were fruitless when matched with her aggressive playing style. Being 5’6’’ tall, she super specialized in ‘smash’ hits. In fact, she was the first women to play such hard forehand strokes, hence an unbeatable opponent to play with. Her ground strokes were praised by many, in comparison to her contemporaries.

“Dod always spoke up in favor of the right of women to dress in a manner that did not impede their tennis.” Tennis historian Elizabeth Wilson had said this in her interview with The Canberra Times.

Charlotte Dod retired from active tennis tournaments at the age of 21. She dedicated her focus towards other sports in which she excelled too. Her zeal was to inculcate the love for sports within the women folks. She started playing field hockey in 1897 and continued till 1900; but sciatica attacks restricted her mobility and participation in the game. Though Charlotte played golf at the age of fifteen, but she struggled to master the sports. Being an ardent lover of sports, her zeal was unstoppable and soon she regained her interest in golf, involving in multiple golf championships. In fact, she won the British national golf championship in 1904.

In 1905, Charlotte shifted to Newbury at Berkshire along with her brothers. It was at this place, Dod manifested her love for archery. She participated in the British Olympics and the Grand National, winning the silver medal in archery in 1908.

Dod was also an outstanding figure skater. In 1895, she cleared the Ladies Skating test at St. Moritz, a winter sports resort quite prominent among English travelers. The event at St. Moritz was the most esteemed championship for women with Dod being the second women to clear it with honor. She was invited as a judge in many international figure skating competitions. Besides skating, she also went for toboggan rides and curling, two other winter sports, along with her brother Tony. Charlotte and Tony had ascended many mountains in England and Norway, pursuing their desire for sports vehemently.

Though Charlotte concluded her career in active sports approximately after 1911, yet her zeal to remain active was unstoppable. During the first World War, she was the member of the British Red Cross and was involved in serving the nation. She was awarded a Service medal for her dedicated service as a nurse.

Such was her passion and deep affection for sports especially tennis, that she never missed attending any of the Wimbledon championships. Her name has been recorded in the Guinness Book of Records along with fellow golf player and athlete Babe Zaharias, recognizing her as the most versatile female athlete of her times.

She moved to London and Devon along with her brother Willy and continued to reside there until her brother died in 1954. She continued serving as a nurse throughout her life. During her death at the age of 88, she was at the Birchy Hill Nursing home in Hampshire listening to the radio broadcasts of Wimbledon. A legend she was who upheld her craze for tennis till the end of her life, not to part even during her final journey to heaven. A messiah for the women sports fraternity, Charlotte Don will always be remembered and revered by all in high regard.

In 1983, Dod’s name was added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame to honor her stupendous contribution to the sport of tennis.

Acknowledgement:
* Britannica
* Wikipedia
* History of Wimbledon