The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Joan Hartigan was Australia’s number one ranked women’s singles tennis player between 1933-36 and was, quite possibly, the first Australian woman to make her mark internationally when she made self funded tours of Europe in 1934 and 1935. She won three Australian Open singles titles (1933-34, 1936) and reached the semi finals at Wimbledon twice, in 1934 (losing to Helen Jacobs) and 1935 (she lost to the legendary Helen Wills Moody.) She remained near the top of Australian women’s tennis until the war years, achieving a ranking of eighth after her efforts at Wimbledon. Tall and athletic, Hartigan was renowned for her power game, rather than as s serve and volley player.