Old Wilson Tennis Racket

Q: I still have my Alice Marble wooden tennis racket my parents gave me when I was about 10 years old. It was made by Wilson and says “Court Queen” on the handle. Is this of any value or is it just a piece of tennis history?

A: Tennis player Alice Marble (1913-1990) was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1939. She broke world records when she won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open that year. During World War II, she was a spy for the United States and was wounded when trying to get some Nazi financial information. Wilson made more than one model of Alice Marble tennis rackets. The Court Queen model was introduced in about 1938. Old wooden rackets aren’t particularly valuable today. Rackets like yours sell for under $40. They are hung on the wall as decoration, not used to play tennis.