Remarkably, she continued to represent SA in Interstate Tennis Championships until 1957 when she was in her late 40s.
Born a Victorian and having moved to SA in early adulthood, Sadie Rogers played elite level tennis for 22 years.
While some women had short careers – often because of household and marital responsibilities – it is also notable that some elite female participants played for multiple decades.
The reasons and theories are many.
Firstly, some women came from wealthy families and could afford to travel and take time away from work. Some women didn’t marry.
Some sought independence and freedom in challenging the norms of society by continuing to compete, train, prepare and travel.
Some enjoyed the challenge and companionship of competitive sport more than social sports.
Through the 1930s, Sadie Rogers won several state titles across the country and by 1939, she was ranked No. 10 in Australia.
Then, in early 1940s, she married and competed as Sadie Newcombe.
This was her best decade – winning the SA Women’s Doubles title, the Tasmanian Singles, the SA Mixed Doubles, the City of Adelaide Doubles, and was a member of the SA v Victoria SALTA Interstate team for five years.
At the peak of her career, she lost in the final of the Australian Hardcourt Championships 6-2, 6-3. That tournament was in Launceston in 1948.
By the early 50s, she had risen to No. 7 ranking in Australia and to No.1 in SA. She stood as SA’s top ranked player for six years.
Sadie Newcombe married again in 1951 and competed as Sadie Berryman and maintained her ranking in SA’s top 5 for most of the early 1950s – and then in a resurgent year – recaptured the top spot in 1955.
Remarkably, she continued to represent SA in Interstate Tennis Championships until 1957 – when she was in her late 40s.
Her career was not without controversy arising from tensions between the amateur and professional status of players.
During the war, she competed as a professional when her husband served overseas but was later reinstated as an amateur and led an Australian team to NZ in 1947.
However, in November 1951, she was barred from competing in the Victorian championships as the rule for reinstatement was altered and her amateur status not recognised.
Fortunately, she was allowed to return to elite competition by representing SA in Interstate tournaments until the late 1950s.
