From the courts of Austria to the grass of Wimbledon, the story of Liesl Herbst nee Westreich (1903-1990) is one of talent, resilience and survival, first recounted in a 2023 biography by her granddaughter. An Austrian-Jewish tennis champion ranked the country’s no.1 in 1930, Herbst competed in more than 70 tournaments across Europe before being forced to flee Nazi persecution with her husband and daughter.
Having escaped to Britain in 1939, Liesl competed at Wimbledon in the same year representing Czechoslovakia, aged 35 and having never played on grass before. She achieved another remarkable milestone in 1946, when she and her daughter Dorli (1926-1978) became the only mother-and-daughter pair ever to play doubles together at Wimbledon. Dorli went on to compete in the Championship’s Ladies Single event several times after the war.
Behind these sporting achievements was a profound story of loss. Much of Liesl’s family perished during the Holocaust, making her journey a powerful reminder of both the human cost of Nazi persecution and the strength of those who rebuilt their lives in exile. As Wimbledon season inspires a new generation of tennis fans, we remember Liesl Herbst—athlete, refugee, survivor—and honour her extraordinary legacy.
Image: Wiki
