Brough, Louise (Althea Louise)
Tennis
b. March 11, 1923, Oklahoma City, OK
When she was four years old, Brough moved with her mother to California, where she learned to play tennis on public courts. She began to take lessons at thirteen. Within four years she was playing in the national junior championships in Philadelphia and the national women's championships in New York at the same time, driving back and forth with her aunt between matches.
Brough was much more successful in singles at Wimbledon than in the U. S. nationals. She won the U. S. singles title just once, in 1947, though she reached the finals five times. She was the Wimbledon singles champion three years in a row, from 1948 through 1950, and she won a fourth championship in 1955. Her fourth title was a major upset over Beverly Baker Fleitz. Brough trailed 5-4 in both sets but won 7-5 and 8-6.
With Margaret Osborne dupont, Brough formed one of the greatest doubles combinations in history. They won the U. S. national title from 1942 through 1950 and from 1955 through 1957; the Wimbledon doubles in 1946, from 1948 through 1950, and in 1954; and the French doubles in 1946, 1947, and 1949.
Playing with four different male partners, Brough also won the U. S. mixed doubles in 1942 and from 1947 through 1949, and the Wimbledon mixed doubles from 1946 through 1948 and in 1950. She was perfect in Wightman Cup play, winning all 22 of her matches from 1946 through 1957.
She retired from competition in 1958 after marrying, but spent another twenty years teaching tennis to young players.