Leela Row Dayal is a renowned figure in the world of tennis in India, and is famous for being the first Indian female player to win a Wimbledon match in 1934, find out more below about whom she deafeated
Leela made history in 1934 after defeating the United Kingdomโs, Gladys Southwell at the 1934 Wimbledon Championships.
Who is Leela Row Dayal first Indian tennis player to win a match at Wimbledon and whom had she defeated
Dayalโs mother also played tennis, and notably won the singles title at the Bombay Presidency Hard Court Championships, back in 1927.
Leela Row Dayal bio
Leela Row Dayal was an Indian female tennis player and author who was born on December 19, 1911, in Mumbai. She was renowned as the first female Indian tennis player to have won a match at the Wimbledon Championships. Aside from being a famous tennis player, Leela wrote several Indian classical dance books in both English and Sanskrit. Leela was born to Raghavendra Row, who was a physician, and Pandita Kshama Row, who was a Sanskrit poet.
Education
Leela obtained her education from different institutions in India, England, and France.
Age and height
Leela Row Dayal is currently 112 years old, and stands at a height of 1.47 m (4โ10โ).
Tennis career and achievements
Leelaโs mother was also one of the early tennis players in India and influenced her interest in the sport. Leela Row Dayal gained notoriety after competing at the 1934 Wimbledon Championships. The tournament took place from June 25, 1943, until July 7, 1934, and marked the 54th edition of the tournament.
Dayal notably became the first Indian female player to win a match at Wimbledon after defeating the UKโs, Gladys Southwell. The following year, Dayal also competed again at Wimbledon, but lost to Evelyn Dearman in the first round. She also competed at the prestigious Indian Open (tennis), previously known as the All India Championships. Gayal managed to win a total of seven singles titles at the Indian Open besides finishing as the runner-up in three occasions.
Leela Row Dayal her first Indian Open in 1931 and then won consecutively in 1936, 1937, and 1938. Dayal then won the Open again in 1940 and 1941, before winning her seventh title in 1943 against Meher Dubash. Dayal emerged as the runner-up in three Indian Open competitions โ 1931, 1932, and 1942.
Other pursuits
Aside from being a tennis player, Leela Row Dayal was also an author who wrote several books related to ancient and modern classical types of Indian dance. She wrote the books in both English and in Sanskrit. She notably published a handwritten study on the Indian classical dance form Natya, titled Natya Chandrika, in 1958.
Husband and marriage
Leela Row Dayal married Harishwar Dayal in 1943, who worked as a civil servant that later served as the Indian Ambassador to the United States and Nepal. Sadly, Harishwar passed away while on a trip to Mount Everest in 1964.