Lili Alvarez was an all-rounder. Born in Italy, she spent her early days in Switzerland winning ice-skating competitions, represented Spain and France (later years) in tennis. Although she was a three-time finalist at the Wimbledon singles, she never managed to win the title. Her only title was in 1929 when she won the double’s title with Kea Bouman at the French Open. In 1931, she wore the Elsa Schiaparelli’s divided skirt and shocked the audience in Wimbledon. The divided skirt was the forerunner of the shorts which is common these days. Post-retirement, she authored books on religion and feminism.
