Dr Helen Amos

Helen Amos was regularly scheduled to play on Wimbledon’s Centre Court reaching the third round in 1969. Although unable to defeat them, she was often rostered to play on centre courts around the world – against famous players such as King, Virginia Wade and Margaret Court.

Did You Know

Despite an early health setback, she thrived on tennis as a youngster, winning the SA Hard Court Ladies Women’s Championship as a 14-year-old, which led her to be the No. 1 player in senior Pennant tennis at 15.

Helen Amos contracted polio as a young child, confined to a frame for several years.

Nevertheless, by 12 years old she was dominating junior tennis in SA, often winning events that were five years out of her age group.

A standout example was winning the SA Hard Court Ladies Women’s Championship as a 14-year-old, which led her to be the No. 1 player in senior Pennant tennis at 15.

Helen left Findon HS after Year 11 and combined modelling with tennis while playing the world circuit.

At Wimbledon 1969 her modelling experience led to an opportunity to model Fred Perry tennis clothes at the famous Wimbledon Garden Party.

She was awarded the Boyce Medal for SA’s best and fairest female tennis player in 1964/65 and 1968/69.

It was during the mid 60s to 1970 that Helen Amos was at her most prolific.

She lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Billie Jean King 6-0 6-2 on Centre Court.
One of the first generation of female SA tennis players to do so, Helen Amos played around the world, winning her first international women’s event in Jerusalem.
At the Paris International, she lost the final and as a result qualified for Wimbledon.
Regularly scheduled to play on Centre Court at Wimbledon, in 1969 she reached the third round.
Although unable to defeat them, she was often rostered to play on the Centre Courts around the world – against famous players such as King, Virginia Wade and Margaret Court.
In the South African Championships in Johannesburg, she lost the semis single, and was runner-up in doubles and mixed doubles
In Belgium, she was the singles runner-up and in the West German Indoor Championships.

Meanwhile, she found time to be the 1967/68 Playing Captain of SA Interstate Senior Team. Furthermore, in 1968 she took on the role of Manageress of the SA Wilson Cup Team.

In the 1970s, Helen was accepted to study medicine in Frankfurt. Eventually Helen resided permanently in Germany, playing team tennis competitively in Germany.

She has been inducted into Tennis SA’s Legends Club.