The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Born Eleanor Hall, Hopman was born at Coogee, New South Wales, and educated at Claremont College, Randwick. As a student she excelled at tennis and music, obtaining her licentiate and teaching diploma at the Royal College of Music, London, but ultimately chose a tennis career. In 1930, Harry Hopman spotted Eleanor and partnered her in the Australian senior mixed doubles, which they won. That year and in 1933, she also won the women’s doubles title.

Eleanor and Harry were married in March 1934. The pair moved to Melbourne and Eleanor became captain of the Victorian interstate team. In 1935, they reached the mixed doubles finals for Wimbledon. In 1936 and 1937 they won the Australian mixed doubles. Eleanor won the Victorian singles in 1938, and the South Australian singles the following year, raising her national ranking to equal first with Emily Westacott.

At the end of her playing career, Eleanor Hopman became a tennis administrator, elected as the first woman councillor of the Lawn Tennis Association of Victoria in 1947. In 1950 she managed Victoria’s Wilson Cup team.