Darlene Hard
Full name | Darlene Ruth Hard | |||||||||||
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Country (sports) | ![]() | |||||||||||
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | January 6, 1936|||||||||||
Plays | Right-handed | |||||||||||
Int. Tennis HoF | 1973 (member page) | |||||||||||
Singles | ||||||||||||
Highest ranking | No. 2 (1957) | |||||||||||
Grand Slam singles results | ||||||||||||
Australian Open | QF (1962) | |||||||||||
French Open | W (1960) | |||||||||||
Wimbledon | F (1957, 1959) | |||||||||||
US Open | W (1960, 1961) | |||||||||||
Doubles | ||||||||||||
Grand Slam doubles results | ||||||||||||
Australian Open | F (1962) | |||||||||||
French Open | W (1955, 1957, 1960) | |||||||||||
Wimbledon | W (1957, 1959, 1960, 1963) | |||||||||||
US Open | W (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1969) | |||||||||||
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | ||||||||||||
Australian Open | F (1962) | |||||||||||
French Open | W(1955, 1961) | |||||||||||
Wimbledon | W ( 1957, 1959, 1960) | |||||||||||
US Open | F (1956, 1957, 1961) | |||||||||||
Team competitions | ||||||||||||
Wightman Cup | W (1957,1959,1962, 1963) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Darlene Hard (born January 6, 1936) is an American former professional 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 Dürr 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.
She has worked for the University of Southern California since 1981.[3]
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1957 | Wimbledon | Grass | ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 1958 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
3–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 1959 | Wimbledon | Grass | ![]() |
6–4, 6–3 |
Winner | 1960 | French Championships | Clay | ![]() |
6–3, 6–4 |
Winner | 1960 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
6–4, 10–12, 6–4 |
Winner | 1961 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1962 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() |
9–7, 6–4 |
Doubles: 18 (13 titles, 5 runners-up)
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
- ^ 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.
- ^ United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc. p. 261.
- ^ LA Times
External links
- Darlene Hard at the Women's Tennis Association
- Darlene Hard at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- {{ITF profile}} template using deprecated numeric ID.
- Darlene Hard at the Billie Jean King Cup
- 1936 births
- Living people
- American female tennis players
- French Championships (tennis) champions
- Sportspeople from Los Angeles, California
- International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees
- Tennis people from Los Angeles
- Tennis players at the 1963 Pan American Games
- United States National champions (tennis)
- US Open (tennis) champions
- University of Southern California people
- Wimbledon champions (pre-Open Era)
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's singles
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's doubles
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles