Janice Patricia "Jan" Lehane O'Neill OAM (née Lehane; born 9 July 1941) is a former Australian female tennis player. She was the first leading female player with a double-handed backhand. She won the singles title at the New South Wales Championships in 1959 after a three-sets victory in the final against

Mary Carter Reitano Mary Carter Reitano (''née'' Carter; born 29 November 1934) is a former tennis player from Australia. As a junior player she won the girls' singles title at the Australian Championships in 1951 and 1952. Reitano won the singles title at th ...

. In 1960, she successfully defended her title by winning the semifinal against world No. 1 ranked

Maria Bueno Maria Esther Andion Bueno (11 October 1939 – 8 June 2018) was a Brazilian professional tennis player. During her 11-year career in the 1950s and 1960s, she won 19 Grand Slam titles (seven in women's singles, 11 in women's doubles, and one in ...

and the final in straight sets against

Margaret Smith Margaret Smith or Maggie Smith may refer to: People *Margaret Smith Court, known as Margaret Court (born 1942), Australian tennis player *Margaret A. Smith, superintendent of Volusia County Schools *Margaret Bayard Smith (1778–1844), American aut ...

. At the Australian Championships, Lehane reached the singles final four consecutive years (1960–1963) but lost to

each time. She had a similar experience in women's doubles, reaching the final twice (in 1961 with

Mary Bevis Hawton Mary Renetta Hawton (née Bevis; 4 September 1924 – 18 January 1981) was a tennis player from Australia. Her career ranged from the 1940s to the 1950s. Hawton won the women's doubles title at the Australian Championships five times. In 1958 ...

and 1963 with

Lesley Turner Bowrey Lesley Rosemary Turner Bowrey, AM (née Turner; born 16 August 1942) is a retired professional tennis player from Australia. Her career spanned two decades from the late 1950s until the late 1970s. Turner Bowrey won the singles title at the Fr ...

) but losing each time to a team that included Smith (with

in 1961 and

Robyn Ebbern Robyn Ebbern (born 2 July 1944) is an Australian former tennis player who was active in the 1960s. Biography Born in Brisbane, Ebbern and Margaret Smith won the Australian Championships doubles in 1962 and 1963 and the U.S. Championships doub ...

in 1963). Lehane had more success in the mixed doubles, twice winning the title (in 1960 with

Trevor Fancutt Trevor Fancutt (14 July 1934 – 23 December 2022) was a South African tennis player. In 1960 Fancutt, partnering Jan Lehane, won the mixed doubles title of the Australian Championships, defeating Christine Truman and Martin Mulligan Mar ...

and 1961 with Bob Hewitt). However,

Mike Sangster Mike Sangster (11 September 1940 – 30 April 1985) was a British No. 1 tennis player of the 1960s.

and Lehane lost the 1964 mixed doubles final to Smith and

Ken Fletcher Kenneth Norman Fletcher (15 June 1940 – 11 February 2006) was an Australian tennis player who won numerous doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. Biography He was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to parents Norm and Ethel Fletc ...

. She had an operation on her right knee in January 1965 and did not play any of the Grand Slams that year. She was part of the Australian Fed Cup team that reached the final in

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

and won all three of her singles rubbers. According to Lance Tingay of ''The Daily Telegraph'' and the ''Daily Mail'', O'Neill was ranked in the world top 10 in 1960, 1963, and 1964, reaching a career high of World No. 7 in 1963. Lehane married James John O'Neill on 19 February 1966. In 2018, she was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. On Australia Day 2019, Jan was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to tennis.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (4 runners-up)

Doubles: (3 runners-up)

Mixed doubles (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December. O'Neill participated only in the January edition.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lehane, Jan Australian Championships (tennis) champions Australian female tennis players 1941 births Living people Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles Grand Slam (tennis) champions in girls' singles Tennis people from New South Wales Australian Championships (tennis) junior champions