The first Wightman Cup, the pioneering international women's team tennis competition between the U.S. and Great Britain, was held with Hazel Wightman as donor and player.
On August 1, 1923, the inaugural Wightman Cup competition was held, marking the creation of the first major annual international team event in women's tennis. Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman personally donated the ornate silver trophy and played as a member of the United States team in this historic first tie against Great Britain.
The competition was conceived by Wightman as a women's equivalent to the Davis Cup, which at the time had no counterpart for female players on the international stage. Her vision and financial contribution to commission the trophy reflected her broader commitment to elevating the status and visibility of women's tennis internationally.
The inaugural event took place in conjunction with the opening of the West Side Tennis Club's new stadium at Forest Hills, giving the competition immediate prestige and a grand stage. The United States team, featuring Wightman alongside other top American players, defeated the British team in this first encounter.
The Wightman Cup would go on to run annually (with interruptions during wartime) for many decades, becoming one of the most storied rivalries in women's tennis history and a proving ground for generations of American and British stars. Wightman's role as both founder and competitor in this event is considered one of her most enduring legacies, symbolizing her transition from elite player to visionary administrator and patron of the women's game.