Gracyn Wheeler Kelleher (July 2, 1914 – October 11, 1980) of California was an amateur

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player in the 1920s through the 1940s. Wheeler played for the U.S. Wightman Cup team and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the United States during her career. Wheeler won the singles title at the Pacific Southwest Championships in September 1936 after a win in the final against

Alice Marble Alice Marble (September 28, 1913 – December 13, 1990) was an American tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam championships between 1936 and 1940: five in singles, six in women's doubles, and seven in mixed doubles. She was ranked world No. 1 in 193 ...

who had become U.S. National champion earlier that month. At the Tri-State Tennis Tournament in Cincinnati, Wheeler won the singles title in 1934 and was a singles finalist in 1940. At the Canadian National tournament, she won the singles title in 1933. She and Helen Bernard reached the finals of the 1940 National Clay Court Doubles Championships, then lost to

and Mary Arnold at a final played in Cincinnati. She won the doubles title at the

U.S. Women's Indoor Championships The U.S. Women's Indoor Championships, was a national tennis championship for women that was sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association and held 79 times from 1907 through 2001 at various locations and on various surfaces. The event was af ...

in 1940 partnering Norma Taubele Barber. She won the Oregon state singles and doubles titles in 1932 and the singles title in 1933. She was a quarterfinalist at the 1936 U.S. Nationals and won the U.S. Girls 18s doubles title in 1932. In 1929 at the Carlton Winter championships in Cannes, France, Wheeler was seeded No. 1, ahead of French player, future International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee

Simonne Mathieu Simonne Mathieu ( Passemard; (Spelled "Simone" in many sources.) 31 January 1908 – 7 January 1980) was a female tennis player from France, born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine who was active in the 1930s. During World War II, she creat ...

. According to the February 9, 1939, edition of the ''Oakland Tribune'', Mathieu protested, telling officials "Am I not the greatest player in all of France? If I am not seeded No. 1, I will quit the tournament." Wheeler quickly gave up the No. 1 seed in deference to Mathieu, and took her place as the No. 2 seed. Wheeler participated in the

Wimbledon Championships The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, All England Club in ...

in 1938, 1939 and 1955. She reached the third round in singles and the quarterfinals in doubles, both in 1939. With her husband, she took part in the mixed doubles in 1955 and lost in the second round after a bye in the first. In August 1939, it was reported that she would marry German tennis player

Henner Henkel Heinrich Ernst Otto "Henner" Henkel (; 9 October 1915 – 13 January 1943) was a German tennis player during the 1930s. His biggest success was his singles title at the 1937 French Championships. Biography Henner was born in 1915 the son of ...

in October that year. On August 15, 1940 she married

Robert J. Kelleher Robert Joseph Kelleher (March 5, 1913 – June 20, 2012) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California and an American tennis player and official, inducted into the International Ten ...

, an American district court judge in Los Angeles, former U.S. Davis Cup captain, president of the United States Tennis Association, and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She has been inducted into the Southern California Tennis Association Senior Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelleher, Gracyn 1914 births 1980 deaths American female tennis players Tennis people from California 20th-century American women 20th-century American people