Dorothea Lambert Chambers (née Dorothea Katherine Douglass; 3 September 1878 – 7 January 1960) was a British tennis player. She won seven Wimbledon women's singles titles and a gold medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics.

Tennis In 1900, Douglass made her singles debut at Wimbledon, and after a bye in the first round, she lost her second-round match to Louisa Martin. She won her first of seven ladies' singles titles three years later. On 6 April 1907, she married Robert Lambert Chambers and became known by her married surname Lambert Chambers.

In 1908, she won the gold medal in the women's singles event at the 1908 Summer Olympics after a straight-sets victory in the final against compatriot Dora Boothby.

She wrote Tennis for Ladies, published in 1910. The book contained photographs of tennis techniques and advice on attire and equipment.

In 1911, Lambert Chambers won the women's final at Wimbledon against Dora Boothby 6–0, 6–0, the first player to win a Grand Slam singles final without losing a game. To date, this feat was repeated only two more times in over 115 years of grand slam history, by Steffi Graf when she defeated Natalia Zvereva in the 1988 French Open final and then by Iga Swiatek in the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles final when she beat Amanda Anisimova 6–0, 6–0 in 57 minutes.

In 1919, Lambert Chambers played the longest Wimbledon final up to that time: 44 games against Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen. Lambert Chambers held two match points at 6–5 in the third set but eventually lost to Lenglen 8–10, 6–4, 7–9.

Lambert Chambers only played sporadic singles after 1921 but continued to compete in doubles until 1927. She made the singles quarterfinals of the U.S. Championships in 1925, and from 1924 to 1926, she captained Britain's Wightman Cup team. In the 1925 Wightman Cup, she played, at the age of 46, a singles (against Eleanor Goss) and doubles match and won both. In 1928 she turned to professional coaching.

Lambert Chambers was posthumously inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981. She died in Kensington, London in 1960, aged 81.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 11 (7 titles, 4 runner-ups) ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentsScoreWin * 1903 Wimbledon Grass Ethel Thomson 4–6, 6–4, 6–2Win 1904 Wimbledon (2) Grass Charlotte Cooper Sterry 6–0, 6–3Loss 1905 Wimbledon Grass May Sutton 3–6, 4–6Win 1906 Wimbledon (3) Grass May Sutton 6–3, 9–7Loss 1907 Wimbledon Grass May Sutton 1–6, 4–6Win 1910 Wimbledon (4) Grass Dora Boothby 6–2, 6–2Win 1911 Wimbledon (5) Grass Dora Boothby 6–0, 6–0Win ** 1913 Wimbledon (6) Grass Winifred McNair 6–0, 6–4Win 1914 Wimbledon (7) Grass Ethel Thomson Larcombe 7–5, 6–4Loss 1919 Wimbledon Grass Suzanne Lenglen 8–10, 6–4, 7–9Loss 1920 Wimbledon Grass Suzanne Lenglen 3–6, 0–6 * This was the all-comers final as Muriel Robb did not defend her 1902 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round, and thus, Wimbledon in 1903 by walkover. ** This was the all-comers final as Ethel Thomson Larcombe did not defend her 1912 Wimbledon title, which resulted in the winner of the all-comers final winning the challenge round and, thus, Wimbledon in 1913 by walkover.

Doubles: 3 runner-ups ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1913 Wimbledon Grass Charlotte Cooper Sterry Dora Boothby Winifred McNair 6–4, 4–2, ret.Loss 1919 Wimbledon Grass Ethel Thomson Larcombe Suzanne Lenglen Elizabeth Ryan 6–4, 5–7, 3–6Loss 1920 Wimbledon Grass Ethel Thomson Larcombe Suzanne Lenglen Elizabeth Ryan 4–6, 0–6

Mixed doubles: 1 runner-up ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1919 Wimbledon Grass Albert Prebble Elizabeth Ryan Randolph Lycett 0–6, 0–6

Career finals

Singles titles (64) Notes: Incomplete list she reportedly won 81 singles titles. YearTournamentLocationSurfaceOpponentScore1 1901North London Championships (Gipsy)Stamford Hill Grass Ellen Thynne Evered 6-4, 9–72 1901Essex ChampionshipsColchester Grass Agnes Morton6-3, 6–3 3 1901North of England Championships Scarborough Grass Alice Simpson Pickering4-6, 10–8, 6–1 4 1902North London Championships (2)Stamford Hill Grass Agnes Morton4-6, 6–2, 8–6 5 1903Derbyshire Championships Buxton Grass Ethel Thomson6-2, 6–1 6 1903Wimbledon Championships London Grass Muriel Robb w.o. 7 1903North London Championships (3)Stamford Hill Grass Agnes Morton6-3, 6–2 8 1904Wimbledon Championships (2) LondonGrass Charlotte Sterry 6–0, 6–3 9 1904 British Covered Court Championships London Wood (i) Edith Austin 7–5, 6–4, 7–9, 6–2 10 1904Derbyshire Championships (2) Buxton Grass Ethel Thomson6-2, 4–6, 6–3 11 1904 Sussex Championships Brighton Grass Charlotte Sterry 6–3, 6–3 12 1904 South of England Championships Eastbourne Grass Charlotte Sterry 6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–1 13 1905 The Homburg Cup Bad Homburg Clay Toupie Lowther6-3, 7–5 141905 London Covered Court Championships London Wood (i) Ethel Thomson Larcombe 6–4, 6–2 15 1906 Wimbledon Championships (3) London Grass May Sutton 6–3, 9–7 16 1906 Northern Championships Liverpool Grass May Sutton 7–5, 6–2 17 1906 Kent Championships Beckenham Grass Connie Wilson 6–3, 2-2 18 1906East of England ChampionshipsFelixstoweGrass Connie Wilson14-14 19 1906 British Covered Court Championships (2) London Wood (i) Hilda Lane 6–2, 6–0 20 1906Berkshire Championships ReadingGrass Violet Pinckney6-0, 6–1 21 1906Middlesex Championships ChiswickGrass Charlotte Sterry6-1 6–0 22 1906Baden Baden International Baden-Baden Clay Toupie Lowther 6–4, 6–4 23 1906 The Homburg Cup (2)Bad Homburg Clay Blanche Bingley Hillyard6-4, 8–6 24 1906 South of England Championships (2)Eastbourne Grass Agnes Morton 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 25 1907Middlesex Championships (2)ChiswickGrass Miss M.E. Browndivided title 26 1907Nice ChampionshipNice Clay Toupie Lowther 6–4, 6–4 27 1907Northumberland Championships Newcastle-upon-TyneGrass Charlotte Sterry6-2, 6–3 28 1907 South of England Championships (3)Eastbourne Grass Charlotte Sterry 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 29 1907Berkshire Championships (2)ReadingGrass Violet Pinckney6-1, 6–1 30 1908 British Covered Court Championships (3) London Wood (i) Gwendoline Eastlake-Smith6-3, 6–3 31 1908Middlesex Championships (3)ChiswickGrass Angela Greene7-5, 6–4 32 1908Olympic Games London ( outdoor singles)LondonGrass Dora Boothby 6–1, 7–5 33 1908Cannes Championships CannesClay Melita Dillon6-1, 6–4 34 1908Berkshire Championships (3)ReadingGrass Violet Pinckney6-1, 6–1 35 1908Northumberland Championships (2)Newcastle Grass Charlotte Sterry6-1, 7–5 36 1910 Wimbledon Championships (4) London Grass Dora Boothby6-2, 6–2 37 1910 Kent Championships (2) Beckenham Grass Dora Boothby6-4, 6–3 38 1910 South of England Championships (4)Eastbourne Grass Ethel Thomson Larcombe 7-5, 7–5 39 1910 British Covered Court Championships (4) London Wood (i) Madeline O'Neill 6–4, 6–3 40 1910Middlesex Championships (4)ChiswickGrass Miss M. Messom6-2, 6–2 41 1910Berkshire Championships (4)ReadingGrass Violet Pinckney6-1, 6–1 42 1910Nottinghamshire ChampionshipsNottinghamGrass Gwendoline Eastlake-Smith6-3, 6–3 43 1910East of England Championships (2)FelixstoweGrass Miss M. Messom6-0, 6–2 44 1911 Wimbledon Championships (5) London Grass Dora Boothby6-0, 6–0 45 1911 British Covered Court Championships (5) London Wood (i) Helen Aitchison 6–3, 6–1 46 1911Middlesex Championships (5)ChiswickGrass Mabel Parton 6–3, 6–2 47 1911Nottinghamshire Championships (2)NottinghamGrass Edith Hannam3-6, 8–6, 6–2 481911Northern Championships (2)ManchesterGrass Mabel Parton 6–2, 6–2 49 1911 Kent Championships (3) Beckenham Grass Mildred Coles6-3, 7–5 50 1913 Wimbledon Championships (6) London Grass Ethel Thomson Larcombe w.o. 51 1913 British Covered Court Championships (6) London Wood (i) Dorothy Holman 6–2, 6–3 52 1913Middlesex Championships (6)ChiswickGrass Dora Boothby6-2, 6–3 53 1913 Kent Championships (4) Beckenham Grass Phyllis Satterthwaite6-4, 6–2 54 1914 Wimbledon Championships (7) London Grass Ethel Thomson Larcombe 7-5, 6–4 551914Monte Carlo Championships Monte Carlo Clay Elizabeth Ryan6-4, 6–1 561914 French Riviera Championships MentonClay Elizabeth Ryan 6–2, 6–1 571914South of France Championships Nice Clay Maud Stuart 6–2, 6–0 58 1914Nice Country Club Tournament Nice Clay Jessie Tripp6-2, 6–0 591914Surrey Grass Court ChampionshipsSurbiton Grass Ethel Thomson Larcombe 6-3, 2–6, 6–4 60 1914Middlesex Championships (7)ChiswickGrass Aurea Edgingtonw.o. 611914Northern Championships (3)LiverpoolGrass Agnes Morton6-1, 6–2 62 1919 British Covered Court Championships (7) London Wood (i) Dorothy Holman6-3, 6–3 631919Northern Championships (4)ManchesterGrass Ethel Thomson Larcombe 6-1, 6–2 641920Surrey Grass Court Championships (2)Surbiton Grass Elizabeth Ryan6-4, 6–2

Badminton In addition to playing tennis, Lambert Chambers was one of the leading badminton players at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1903, 1904 and 1907, she was the runner-up at the singles event of the All England Badminton Championships.

Personal life She undertook war work during the First World War, first at Ealing Hospital and later at the Little Theatre.The Sportswoman's Page, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 22 December 1917, p. 508 She married Robert Lambert Chambers, nephew of John Graham Chambers.

References

External links

Book Lawn Tennis for Ladies at Archive.org