Helen Homans McLean

Playing career

Helen Houston Homans was born in Englewood, New Jersey, the daughter of an insurance executive. She and her elder brother Sheppard, a Princeton football star, both played tennis seriously. In 1905 she won the US women's doubles with Carrie Neely, beating Marjorie Oberteuffer and Virginia Maule 6-0, 6-1, and reached the singles All-Comers' final at Cincinnati, where she lost to May Sutton; she won the Cincinnati doubles that year with Myrtle McAteer.

At the Philadelphia Cricket Club in June 1906 she beat Rachel Harlan, Edith Rotch and, in the All-Comers' final, Maud Barger-Wallach 6-4, 6-3. The holder, Elisabeth Moore, did not defend, so the final made her champion. In the doubles she and Clover Boldt lost the final to Ann Burdette Coe and Ethel Bliss Platt 6-4, 6-4.

In 1907 she married Marshall McLean, a New York lawyer and her mixed doubles partner, and played on as Mrs Marshall McLean. She won three New Jersey State titles in 1911 and regained the state singles in 1913. In 1915 she won the US Indoor Championships and the Pennsylvania singles at Merion, reached the US doubles final with Augusta Chapman, and was ranked third in the country. She later worked as an interior decorator, and died at her home in Bronxville, New York, on 28 March 1949.

On grass

Every grass title: 3

Show every title, tournament by tournament

US Championships
1905	Women's doubles	with Carrie Neely
1906	Women's singles
Pennsylvania Grass Court Championships (Merion)
1915	Women's singles†

Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. † single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions