A true tomboy, Lorraine’s interest in tennis began at age nine after telling her mother that she wanted to learn to play. Poor and one of eight children, including a twin sister, she could not afford a racquet or lessons so her mother collected wood scraps from a local factory and hand made a large paddle out of two pieces of square plywood and a wooden handle. Living near a tennis court Lorraine collected lost balls and practiced hitting against the side of her house with her plywood racquet, honing her hand eye coordination while chasing down balls due to errant bounces off of the cracked uneven ground. Determined to learn the game, she went to the nearby courts almost daily, watching and begging someone to play with her, only to be ignored. Finally one day, an African American couple and court regulars noticed her persistence and agreed to hit balls with her. Quickly impressed by her innate, raw talent, the childless couple gave Lorraine her first real tennis racquet and after consulting with her mother, took her under their wing. Over just a few years, that couple, Dr. and Mrs. Ewell, coached and guided her into a tennis champion.
Lorraine became a force to be reckoned with in a sport unfriendly to people of color. She faced incredible challenges, like only being allowed to play in African American tennis tournaments while repeatedly beating girls 3, 4 and 5 years her senior and size. When finally allowed the opportunity to play in white tournaments she constantly faced padded draws (meaning she would have to play the best players in early rounds); an attempt by tournament officials to eliminate her early. However, stacking the deck never worked against fiery little Lorraine. Although tiny framed, her lightening fast feet meant she could chase down every ball. With a killer drop shot and net play shaped by those years of hitting volleys against the side of her house, she still won, knocking out the better players early. After that experience she stopped looking at the draws.