Story: Tennis

Kathleen Nunneley demonstrating a forehand drive

Kathleen Nunneley demonstrating a forehand drive

Kathleen Nunneley was New Zealand's first great tennis player. She immigrated to New Zealand in 1894 and played at the Thorndon Lawn Tennis Club in Wellington. Nunneley was a class apart in New Zealand – she won the national women's singles title 13 times in a row and 32 national titles in total. Here Nunneley demonstrates a forehand drive in 1904. Her stance is quite different to the modern forehand drive, in which the racket is swung in a wide arc away from the body.

Using this item

Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, Sir George Grey Special Collections
Reference: 7-A12370

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Joseph Romanos, 'Tennis - The development of tennis, 1870s to 1910s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/37337/kathleen-nunneley-demonstrating-a-forehand-drive (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Joseph Romanos, published 5 Sep 2013