By Scoop Malinowski
You learn something new every day and today I learned an interesting fact. There was an Academy Award-winning actress who was such a good tennis player that she competed in a main draw of a Grand Slam.
The star and title role of the 1940 film “Kitty Foyle” – Ginger Rogers – won the Academy Award for “Best Actress” that year.
Rogers was a talented tennis player, and actually entered the 1950 US Open mixed doubles main draw. However, she and Frank Shields were defeated in the first round 63 75 by Barbara Wilkins and William Tulley (Wilkins/Tulley were beaten in the second round 62 60 by Margaret Dupont and Ken MacGregor.
Rogers, who was born on July 16, 1911 in Independence, Missouri, is best known for her nine musical dance RKO films with Fred Astaire, including Flying Down To Rio (1933) Swing Time (1936), Top Hat (1935), Shall We Dance (1937).
Rogers was 39 years old when she played the US Championships at Forest Hills in 1950.
Rogers & Astaire dance scene in Swing Time
Fred Astaire · Ginger Rogers · Grand Slam · Hollywood · Mixed doubles · US Open
