Alice Greene

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexFemale
Full nameAlice Norah Gertrude•Greene
Used nameAlice•Greene
Born15 October 1879 in Upton, England (GBR)
Died26 October 1956 in Saint Brélade, Jersey (JER)
NOC Great Britain
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 1
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Alice Greene was the daughter of an America-born doctor. She was born and raised in Northampton where her father was the superintendent of the Northampton county lunatic asylum, They later moved to Lewes in Sussex before the family moved to the island of Jersey. As a tennis player, Alice first attracted attention at Wimbledon in 1903 when she reached the singles semi-final before losing to Ethel Thomson. Greene reached the semi-final again the following year but lost to Charlotte Sterry. In1907 she won the prestigious London covered court championship at Queen’s Club beating Gladys Eastlake-Smith 2-6, 6-3, 10-8. At the Olympic Games a year later Greene lost her opening match in the outdoor singles to Agatha Morton in straight sets. However, in the covered court event, she won the silver medal after losing in three sets in the final to Eastlake-Smith who she had beaten at Queen’s Club nine months earlier. Alice won the Monte Carlo tournament in 1909 by beating Countess Schulenburg in three sets. Greene also reached the mixed doubles final with Josiah Ritchie. She made her eighth and final Wimbledon appearance in 1909, losing to Dora Boothby in the second round. Alice continued playing competitively into her 40s when she also proved to be a good golfer. A one-time associate member of the Lewes Golf Club, she was later a member of the La Moye Golf Club in Jersey after the family moved to the island in 1911. She represented La Moye in the 1924 English Ladies’ Championship at Cooden Beach, Sussex, Alice died in the house that her father had built at St Brélade. In 2011 the All-England club bought her Olympic silver medal at auction for a reported £4,320.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1908 Summer Olympics Tennis GBR Alice Greene
Singles, Women (Olympic) 5
Singles, Covered Courts, Women (Olympic) 2 Silver