Jadwiga Jędrzejowska, born in Kraków on 15 October 1912., as the daughter of a worker, achieved success in tennis – a sport practised mainly by representatives of the elite of the time. The war did not break her. She became friends with Charlie Chaplin, and her achievements in Polish tennis were surpassed only by Iga Świątek.
Originally from a poor working-class family, the young Jadwiga began her tennis adventure at the age of just 10. Seeing her passion for the sport, her father carved her first racket from wood.
At the age of 13, she joined the academic tennis club AZS Kraków, even though tennis in those days was considered a sport of the elite. Her rivals refused to play with her, not wanting to compete with a worker’s daughter. But Jadwiga did not let herself be discouraged. She trained mainly with men and, at the age of 20, won her first Polish championship title. That was just the beginning; she won 27 championships in total, the last one in 1967.
Her international career began with her debut at Wimbledon in 1931. Six years later, she stood in the final of this prestigious tournament, where she faced the British Dorothy Round. Despite leading in the deciding set, she eventually lost. This match, and her words “I was afraid to win”, became one of the most memorable moments in the history of Polish sport.
Jędrzejowska won her only Grand Slam title in 1939, winning the doubles at Roland Garros. Unfortunately, her career was cut short by the German invasion of Poland and the Second World War. Despite numerous offers to emigrate abroad, including from the USA or an invitation from the Swedish king, she decided to remain in Poland. There, she became involved in underground activities. She ran an inn and later worked in a shoe factory. The German Nazis offered her to play matches in the Third Reich, but she refused, claiming that she no longer played tennis professionally.
After the war, she not only continued her sporting career, but also started working as a coach.
An interesting fact is her acquaintance with Charlie Chaplin, whom she met during one of her matches. Initially there was an argument between them, but the acquaintance soon turned into a lasting friendship.
She died in 1980 in Katowice, Poland.