The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis: Liesl Herbst’s Journey, from Vienna to Wimbledon

by Felice Hardy

*Daily Mail Book of the Week*

'A fabulous story guaranteed to capture people’s imagination' Mail on Sunday

'Absolutely fascinating' BBC Breakfast

'Stunningly descriptive, compelling writing. I was moved close to tears on several occasions.' Peter James, international bestselling crime writer

In 1930, at the age of twenty-seven, Liesl Herbst was the Austrian National Tennis Champion, a celebrity in Vienna. Liesl, her husband David and their daughter Dorli came to Britain after escaping the Nazis.

In London, though initially stripped of their Austrian passports and rendered stateless aliens, both Liesl and her daughter Dorli competed at Wimbledon. They remain the only mother and daughter ever to have played doubles together at Wimbledon.

This moving story of escape and survival is told by Liesl’s grand-daughter, Dorli’s daughter. Some of the story, the author heard first-hand from her grandmother; the rest, she has meticulously researched over many years in four countries. It is as much a search for the author’s own identity as for her own children and grandchildren to ensure that their remarkable family history is never lost again.

Illustrated throughout with family photographs and original documents, this is a story of survival against terrible odds, an inspiring tale of resilience and hope.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, History

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2023

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felice Hardy does a phenomenal job researching and sharing her family's plight during the Holocaust. Her grandmother, Liesl Herbst, was a tennis pro living in Vienna when Germany invaded Austria. Hardy shares that ethnic cleansing shredded the fabric of their lives and religious observations and rituals were placed in the attic. After that point, the family became agnostic and future generations were raised agnostic.

Character development, scene imagery, dialogue, and story arc are fantastic! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Liesl Herbst, as told by her granddaughter Felice Hardy in this family memoir, is one that is at times compelling, at times inspiring but for the most part tragic. Liesl came from a Jewish family in Vienna with some wealth – but being Jewish in a country so close to Germany, there were rumblings of trouble when the Nazis rose to power. Before this however, Liesl wanted to channel her athletic talent into tennis and follow her idol, Suzanne Lenglen into the sport.

Through extensive research (by herself and other researchers in Austria and Czechoslovakia), Hardy is able to not only find out about her grandmother’s tennis career but is also able to describe in great detail about the escape from Austria that Liesl and her daughter Dorli (Hardy’s mother) were able to accomplish and settle in London. Because Liesl was a former tennis champion in Austria, she wanted to compete again and was able to do so at Wimbledon. She and Dorli became the only mother/daughter team to compete at Wimbledon and while they may not have advanced far in the tournament, it was a testament to their athletic ability and their determination in both athletics and survival.

However, this book is not all positive. The rest of the family members did not escape the Nazis and all perished at various points during their imprisonment. These passages, which were more of the book than Liesl’s tennis accomplishments, were difficult to read, but really were necessary for both the reader and the author. Hardy should be commended for remembering all members of her family, not just her famous grandmother.

There are many conversations that are quoted in the book and given the time frame and lack of ability to verify these from survivors, one must consider these as conversations that Hardy believed these people would have had when either making their escapes or being captured. The journey of David, Liesl’s husband, to London after sending his wife and daughter there almost reads like a survivalist story. While this is not to question any of the authenticity of this and other similar accounts, it does appear that some of this is what Hardy believes her family members did and said. However, that doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the book. It is one that is a very good read and while tennis is a part of the story, the takeaway after reading is how much suffering people endured at the hands of the Nazi party during the Holocaust.

I was provided a review copy via NetGalley and the opinions expressed are strictly my own.

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[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book. Honest and emotional. Couldn’t put it down.

[Graham Ceccarelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story surprised me in a few ways. I got it as a gift as I'm a history buff, but also an avid tennis player and wannabe amateur tennis historian. So a story about a tennis player that "escaped the Nazis" was combining some unusual genre bedfellows that you may not see again.

But the book revealed itself to have somewhat of a misleading title as there's very little tennis (passing references at most) and Liesl's career - or indeed escape - is not the most compelling part of the novel. However, it's a fascinating mishmash of family histories, societal change, and personal stories and tragedies, that flits between various voices that comes together to make the person Felice Hardy is today, and how that coloured the lives of her mother and grandparents following the fall of the Nazis. It's a difficult read because of the sheer horror and brutality of what was happening to these people, but it's compelling and emotional for the resilience they showed.

It's a niche, unique, and compelling story.

[Joelle Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has long been drawn to Holocaust stories ever since I was a young girl, I’ve read many powerful accounts over the years. But The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis by Felice Hardy stands apart in a deeply moving and unique way.

This book tells the incredible true story of Liesl Herbst, a Jewish tennis champion from Vienna, and her husband David Herbst, who narrowly escaped the horrors of the Holocaust to rebuild their lives in England. What makes this story particularly special is that it’s written by their granddaughter, Felice Hardy, who embarked on an extraordinary journey of research, discovery, and remembrance.

Hardy doesn’t just recount her grandparents’ escape; she weaves a rich tapestry of personal, historical, and emotional threads. The result is a story that reads almost like a novel. It's compelling, beautifully written, and deeply human. It’s part biography, part memoir, but with the narrative strength of literary fiction. Her dedication to uncovering the fates of her extended family, her great-grandmother, great-aunts, and many others is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

What struck me most was the way Hardy captured generational trauma, not in a clinical or abstract sense, but with emotional depth and reverence. This book is a loving tribute, not only to her grandparents’ courage and resilience but also to the memory of those who were lost. It honors their lives by telling their stories with honesty, grace, and compassion.

[Russio · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story told is a family tragedy of the Holocaust and it’s unspeakable brutalities. Escaping Austria due to wealth, talent, gumption and foresight, this follows the lucky members of a family, while filling in with some imagined details reconstructed from evidence. The writing varies and one senses that some characters get fairer treatment than others, although the closing section does try to balance this a little with its examination of survivor-guilt.

What is odd is that the titular champion is the escapee who has the simplest journey to safety, whereas the drama of the other family members, particularly David/Dsezo and Trude are much more compelling.

[Gemma Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

felt like i was reading this for a long time but its not the book’s fault i was just not reading and this wasn’t the right book for that time!
Find it hard to review something so personal and factual- it was incredibly well researched and the personal relationship of the author to the family members she wrote about was really poignant and emotional
i do think i was struggling to get through it nearer the end- but again i can’t blame the author as it is the way that their story panned out! devastating personal account about the trauma and horrors that this jewish family went through in ww2 and how its impacts still resonate generations after- very truthful and authentic writing!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the moving and powerful story of the author's maternal grandparents and other relatives, uncovered through painstaking research across several countries. Some members of the family managed to flee before the Nazis rounded them up, others perished in the Holocaust. The best book I have read in a long time.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felice Hardy’s The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis is a deeply personal and emotionally charged biography of her grandmother, Liesl Herbst, who went from being Austria’s national tennis champion in the 1930s to a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi persecution. The book is part historical investigation, part memoir, and part tribute, tracing Liesl’s life from her privileged upbringing in Moravia through the horrors of World War II and eventually to her quiet resilience in post-war Britain. What sets it apart is the way it weaves together family history, European politics, sport, and trauma, without ever losing its heart.

Reading this book felt like rummaging through an old trunk in an attic and finding not just letters and photos but whole lives. Hardy’s prose is warm and immediate, but the subject matter cuts deep. The opening chapter alone, describing Kristallnacht from the viewpoint of her grandfather David, is as vivid and harrowing as any historical account I’ve read. I could feel my stomach clench reading about a doctor being humiliated and urinated on in the streets of Vienna, and later seeing Liesl’s cousin Emil beaten and carted away. Hardy doesn’t soften the truth; she hands it to you raw, but wrapped in compassion.

I was especially struck by Liesl's emotional restraint. Despite witnessing and experiencing so much loss, she managed to carry herself with grace, never speaking much about the past. In one powerful scene, Hardy recalls asking her grandmother about her family, only to see her flinch and change the subject. The silence spoke louder than any confession. Yet Liesl wasn’t just a survivor; she was also a star. Her tennis career, glossed over in most other narratives, takes center stage in chapters like “Tennis Champion,” where she goes from the clay courts of Europe to playing at Wimbledon. I found myself cheering her on, not just in matches, but in life.

What makes this book resonate most is Hardy’s own journey of discovery. Her transformation from someone hiding her Jewish roots to someone reclaiming them with pride is its own compelling arc. She brings an honesty to her process, admitting she didn’t ask questions when she could have, or that she felt ashamed at times to even mention her family’s past. These raw confessions gave the book its emotional core. Her visits to Vienna, Krnov, and Bratislava read like ghost hunts, piecing together a broken mirror, shard by shard.

By the end, I felt like I knew Liesl, but also like I knew Felice. The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis is more than just a Holocaust biography. It’s for anyone grappling with identity, silence, and inherited memory. I’d recommend this to readers of historical nonfiction, lovers of family sagas, and especially those curious about the forgotten women of sport. It broke my heart, and it patched it up again.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to review this book by NetGalley. I have read a lot about the Holocaust over the years and was interested in this story as this was the authors search to write about her grandparents story of their escape from the Natzi in World War 2. Also as this is Wimbledon fortnight and having attended Wimbledon over 20 years- I was really interested to read this story.

Lisel was the countrys tennis champion, she was from a jewish family in Vienna, David was Lisels husband - he sent Lisel and her daughter to London, then he emarks on a journey to be with them and is quite remarkable.

A lot of reviews reveal that readers are disapointed that there is little sbout tennis, but this was a tennis champion who escaped the Natzi and without Word War 2 this remarkable woman may be more famous today but her career was cut short, Sadly they had to leave and other members of the family perished during this time and the reality is survivors guilt which is so prominant in this story.

What is really interesting is the authors daughter ( Dorli) and her mother competed at Wimbledon, and although they did not adavance through the tournament - they are the only mother and daughter to compete at wimbledon- perhaps this story needs to be told in a Wimbledon documentary because this is really interesting.

This is such a powerful read, for the author to reserch her relatives and the horrors of war.

Working at the school I take cover classes looking at the Holocast and so glad this is not forgotten and young people today are being educated and keeping stories alive.

[Neils Barringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no doubt that the events and retelling of Liesl Herbst's family tragedy was a difficult read. It is clear Felice Hardy dug deep into the research and was able to tell the horrific events that transpired the past century in her family.
I was compelled to pick up the title based off the title and picture of a young girl and the mention of Wimbledon. However, very little actually related back to tennis.
I have read many historical fiction accounts of WW1 and WW2, this was strictly non fiction so there was a heavy amount of information which at times was very hard to read.
I am amazed at how Hardy was able to create such a interesting read, but I finished the book feeling so overwhelmed with sadness for this family.
One thing that made this different from other books I have read on this subject is the after math affects of the Holocaust. Often we do not hear about the lingering effects this had on first, second and third generation survivors.
I really aprpeciate Hardy's deep dive into her family's past, the strength and resliiancey her family showed is outstanding.
Thank you Net Galley for this advanced copy read of THe Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis. I was not influenced or paid for this honest review.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Felice Hardy is a journalist and travel writer who researched the story of her grandparents who escaped Austria in the Second World War.

Liesl and David had successful, high profile lives before they were forced to flee the Nazis. And in fact Lisel was the country's tennis champion.

Though Liesl and David were able to find safety in England, they had to leave many members of their family, ultimately losing them as some were sent to concentration camps and others died as they tried to escape.

They built new lives for themselves and their daughter Dorli, Felice's mother. Liesl and Dorli both played at Wimbledon, the only mother and daughter to do so. But none of them could rid themselves of the feeling of guilt that they survived while their family didn't. And Felice has subsequently found that that survivors' guilt is passed down the generations.

This is a powerful and compelling read. Passages of Felice's journey of discovery, researching the lives of her relatives, punctuate the story she has been able to create of her extended family, most of whom she never met. It reads like a novel but naturally the events and experiences of these innocent people through war and the Holocaust is shocking, disturbing and upsetting. We always need to be reminded.

[Mark Rudd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating story. This is faction, but I think the meat has been well put on the bones. I enjoyed reading it. It was so sad that she had so little insight into her mother's life.