It was at this time that she started taking tennis lessons at the local club KTHC Stadion Rot-Weiss, driven by her mother, who was the first to notice her talent.

Hannemann taught Aussem a sliced backhand, a precisely placed serve, and an effective drop shot.

[3] Aussem, who was described as a graceful, small, and psychologically sensitive girl, seemed incapable of withstanding the mental and physical pressures of competitive sports.

During the family's summer vacation at the French Riviera, Aussem's ambitious mother asked Bill Tilden, the world's best player, for advice.

In 1928, Aussem's mother claimed that Paula von Reznicek had twice beaten her daughter by using hypnotism, which led to a lawsuit in which Von Reznicek filed charges of defamation of character, and Aussem's mother charged her with "insulting assault".

[7][8][9] She lost her German Championships singles title in 1928 after a three-set defeat in the final to Daphne Akhurst.

[15] In August 1930, she won her second German Championships singles title after a straight-sets victory in the final against compatriot Hilde Krahwinkel.

Aussem also won the Wimbledon singles championship, defeating her compatriot Hilde Krahwinkel in the final in straight sets.

[4] An English newspaper described Aussem as follows: "There is a Paavo Nurmi of tennis from Germany, a beautiful young girl.

Celebrating the successful year of 1931, Aussem and her friend and teammate Irmgard Rost traveled to Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

[19] During her winter holidays in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1935, Aussem met Italian Earl Fermo Murari dalla Corte Brà;[20][5] they married in Munich on 11 March 1936, and the pair moved to Mombasa, Kenya.

"[21] Since 1965 the Junior Championships of the German Tennis Association are held under the name Grosse Cilly Aussem Spiele.

[22] However the proposal in 2018 to name a street after her in the city of her birth was rejected on the grounds of her Nazi Party membership.