June is upon us, officially the start of winter down here in the Great Southern Land. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, June heralds the arrival of their summer. Up there it is a time for much sporting activity, including on the tennis courts. Wimbledon 2026 is nearly with us. The strawberries and cream, the English weather, with of course the actual tennis, make Wimbledon a must watch event.
Let’s cast out minds back to 1949, to talk about the stir Gertrude Augustus, better known as Gussie (Gussy) Moran caused.
The Californian born Moran was an up-and-coming tennis player. With a father employed at Universal Studios, Moran was well connected in the entertainment, cultural, networks. As well as appearing as a movie extra she played tennis against the likes of Greta Garbo. She entered tournaments in California focussing on a tennis career, working her way through the rankings. Her moment of fame at Wimbledon 1949 beckoned.
Prior to this, in 1948, Moran was seeded 7th and reached the semi-finals of the U S Open, being defeated by eventual champion Margaret Osborne du Pont, 10-8, 6-4. In March 1949 a victory in the US indoor Championship event further bolstered her confidence for Wimbledon. She went into the 1949 Wimbledon tournament seeded 4.
Before Moran appeared upon court at Wimbledon she met with dress designer Teddy Tingling. Tingling was certainly an intriguing character, a WW 2 spy, author, tennis official, all this with of course being a designer of tennis garb. Discussions with Tingling were held on what to wear, as he then set about preparing it.
The design was underway, though there was apparently a difficulty with what was Moran’s underwear for the day. Tingling was certainly creative, so using leftover fabric rayon from the dress, he created a pair of frilly knickers.
This was the time when tennis garb had to be all white. Tingling sought on being creative within these boundaries, so his design was aimed at being sort of ‘acceptable’ to the norms of 1949 tennis. Well, maybe not.
When Moran walked on court 1 for her opening match against England’s Betty Wilford heads turned, eyes looked agape, as Moran dressed in a short tennis dress, along with frilly lace knickers that were visible to many, strode onto the court, and commenced her match.
Photographers jostled for a spot to photograph the lace. The sight of a female tennis player’s underwear was a first for Wimbledon, probably a first for tennis full stop. After the match the vitriol from the ‘stuffed shirts’ running tennis commenced, as it was considered Tingling’s creation worn by Moran had sexualised the tennis. Moran was deemed vulgar, her actions sinful, and Moran’s famous knickers literally went into the ‘dustbin of history’.
Though Moran never wore them again, reverting to shorts, her name was now etched in tennis legend, though not in the way she planned. ‘Gorgeous Gussie’ and ‘Naughty Gussie’ Moran were some of the sobriquets now bestowed on her. On top of these sobriquets, her performance was commemorated with having a racehorse named after her, and a sauce was named in her honour also. The United States Fashion Academy named her the best dressed sporting woman of the year.
Moran’s tennis career continued after this memorable episode. In 1950, seeded 7, she reached the Wimbledon quarter finals. Moran lost to her compatriot, the number 2 seed Margaret DuPont, 6-4, 6-4. Not long after this Moran departed the amateur ranks, going across to join the world of professional tennis. She played until 1971, her farewell tournament the US Open played on the grass courts of the East Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills, Queens, New York. She lost in the first round to Czech Alena Palmeova-West, 6-3, 6-3.
Moran’s best Grand Slam results were in doubles. She was a finalist in the 1949 Wimbledon doubles, where she partnered Pat Todd. In an all-American final Louise Brough and Margaret DuPont triumphed 8-6, 7-5. Moran also partnered compatriot Pancho Segura to the finals of the 1947 US mixed doubles. In that final the pairing of Louise Brough and Australia’s John Bromwich triumphed 6-3, 6-1.
An illustrious career, though possibly best remembered for her underwear. Following her time in tennis she was heard on radio, also spending time with United Service Organisation visiting American military personal during the undeclared war in Vietnam. Gussie left us in 2013, at the age of 89.
Poor old Teddy Tingling paid a serious penalty for his actions. Despite having a two-decade long involvement with Wimbledon as an official host, he was banned for many years. Finally, in the early 1980’s, Wimbledon felt he’d served his penance bringing him back as a player liaison. I recall seeing him on television in the late 1970’s, early 1980’s, when he was attending tennis here in Australia
So, as we sit up late on these cold June, July, nights watching the action from Wimbledon, cast your minds back all those decades to this performance of Gertrude Augustus “Gussie” Moran, and the stir she caused.
Glen!
More from Glen! can be read Here.
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