France's Suzanne Lenglen was seen by many as the first ever female tennis celebrity. A flamboyant, extravagant and trend-setting athlete, she was given the nickname of 'La Divine' ('the divine one') by the French media and won 12 Grand Slam singles and a further 19 Grand Slam doubles events between 1914 and 1926.

Perhaps as famous off the court as she was on it, Suzanne Lenglen shocked the tennis establishment at Wimbledon in 1914 as she appeared in a dress that revealed her bare forearms and was cut just above the calf, while other competitors covered themselves almost completely. She also stunned a crowd that included King George V by sipping brandy between sets.

However, her unorthodox and brash style was certainly backed up by her results on the court. She went on to win Wimbledon in 1914, defeating seven-time champion Dorothea Douglass Chambers in three sets.

From 1919 to 1925 Suzanne Lenglen won every Wimbledon singles title, apart from 1924 when ill health forced her out of the competition. She also won six French Championships in that time.

Suzanne Lenglen also made history as the first female player to turn professional. After her withdrawal from Wimbledon in 1926, she was paid $50,000 by American entrepreneur Charles C. Pyle to compete in a series of matches against fading US star Mary K. Browne.

For the first time in history women's tennis had become headline news and in the first match Lenglen put on a wonderful display before going on to dominate the American, winning the series 38-0. After an exhausting tour Suzanne Lenglen retired in 1927.