Darlene Hard

Darlene Hard
Personal information
Date of birth January 6, 1936 (1936-01-06) (age 76)
Place of birth Los Angeles, United States
Medal record
Competitor for  United States
Women's Tennis
Pan American Games
Bronze 1963 São Paulo Singles
Gold 1963 São Paulo Doubles

Darlene Hard (born January 6, 1936, Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American former amateur tennis player. Known for her volleying ability and strong serves, she captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S. Championships in 1960 and 1961.

With eight different partners, she won a total of 13 women's doubles titles in Grand Slam tournaments. Her last doubles title, at the age of 33 at the 1969 US Open, came six years after she had retired from serious competition to become a tennis instructor. She also played the US Open singles tournament in 1969, losing in the second round to Françoise Durr 6–3, 6–3.

According to Lance Tingay of the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Hard was ranked among the top ten in the world from 1957 through 1963, reaching a career high of number 2 in those rankings in 1957, 1960, and 1961.[1] Hard was included in the year-end top ten rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1954 through 1963. She was the top-ranked U.S. player from 1960 through 1963.[2]

Hard was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1973.

Hard once said, "I was the last of the amateurs. In our day, I won Forest Hills and got my airfare from New York to Los Angeles. Whoopee." But, she added, "I was happy. I loved it. I loved tennis."

She has worked for the University of Southern California since 1981.[3]

Contents

Grand Slam record

Grand Slam singles finals

Wins (3)

Year Championship Opponent in final Score in final
1960 French Championships Yola Ramírez Ochoa 6–3, 6–4
1960 U.S. Championships Maria Bueno 6–4, 10–12, 6–4
1961 U.S. Championships Ann Haydon Jones 6–3, 6–4

Runner-ups (4)

Year Championship Opponent in final Score in final
1957 Wimbledon Althea Gibson 6–3, 6–2
1958 U.S. Championships Althea Gibson 3–6, 6–1, 6–2
1959 Wimbledon Maria Bueno 6–4, 6–3
1962 U.S. Championships Margaret Court 9–7, 6–4

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 - 1968 1969 1970 Career SR
Australian Championships A A A A A A A A A QF A A A A 0 / 1
French Championships A A 2R 3R QF A A W 4R A 2R A A A 1 / 6
Wimbledon A A SF 3R F A F QF A QF SF A A A 0 / 7
United States 2R SF 3R QF SF F SF W W F QF A 2R 2R 2 / 13
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 1 0 / 2 2 / 3 1 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 3 / 27

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

See also

References

  1. ^ Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 703. ISBN 0-942257-41-3. 
  2. ^ United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc.. pp. 261. 
  3. ^ LA Times

External links