Barger-Wallach, Maud

Maud Barger-Wallach
Born: June 15, 1870
Died: April 02, 1954
Hometown: New York, New York, United States
Citizenship: United States
Handed: Right
Inducted: 1958

Grand Slam Record
U.S. Singles 1908

    Singles finalist 1906, 1909

    Doubles finalist 1912

A late-in-life tennis success, Maud Barger Wallach–”It started to play at about 30″– became the oldest major champion in 1908. She was 38 when she toppled the defending lefty Evelyn Sears, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, in the challenge round, after having beaten Marie Wagner 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, in the all-comers. Molla Mallory winning in 1926 at 42, took away her old-age record.

In her first shot at the title, 1906, Maud los the final to Helen Homans, 6-4, 6-3. Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, who took the crown from her in the 1909 challenge round, recalled that Mrs. Richard Wallach had a good forehand “but not much of backhand. I concentrated on it until I was well ahead”–winning, 6-1, 6-0.

Maud was a New Yorker, a right-hander, born there June 15, 1870. She was a familiar summer figure at Newport, RI, generally playing beneath a distinctive wide-brimmed hat. “Mine was not a great career,” she recalled, “but a happy one.”

At 46 she made the U.S. quarterfinals of 1916 (losing to runner-up Louise Raymond, 6-1, 6-3) and ranked No. 10, the oldest to do so well in the tournament and the rankings. National rankings for women weren’t instituted until 1913, then largely because of her lobbying. But she was No. 5 in 1915. After dying in Baltimore, April 2, 1954, she was buried at Newport, not far from her beloved Casino, and was placed there eternally on her 1958 induction into the Hall of Fame.

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