Laura duPont

Laura duPont (May 4, 1949 – February 20, 2002) was a female American tennis player. She was the first woman to win a national title in any sport for the University of North Carolina,[3] as well as being the first female All-American[4] at the school. She was not related to the multiple grand slam winner Margaret Osborne duPont.

Laura duPont
Country (sports) United States
Born(1949-05-04)May 4, 1949
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
DiedFebruary 20, 2002(2002-02-20) (aged 52)
Durham, North Carolina, USA
Height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) [1]
PlaysRight-handed [1]
Singles
Career record79–122
Highest rankingNo. 23 (1977)[2]
Grand Slam singles results
French Open3R (1977)
Wimbledon4R (1972, 1979)
US OpenQF (1971)
Doubles
Career record117–119
Career titles5
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenQF (1975)
WimbledonQF (1973, 1976)
US OpenQF (1976)

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, DuPont moved to North Carolina, where she showed promise competing in junior tennis championships.

DuPont attended the University of North Carolina where three times she was named Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Champion. DuPont was singles champion in the years 1968, 1970, and 1971. In 1970, she also secured doubles champion. Aside from her tennis accolades at the school, she also played varsity basketball. In 1970, duPont was named North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year.[3] In 1972, duPont graduated with a B.A. and joined the tennis inter-national circuit soon after. She won the Canadian (1979), Argentine, New Zealand (singles as well as doubles) and German singles.

DuPont's success continued, becoming the South African doubles champion in 1976, a doubles finalist in 1975 and singles finalist in 1976. She won the U.S. Clay Court Championships singles title in 1977, as well as was a doubles finalist in 1976. In 1984, duPont won the U.S. Open 35 and over singles championship.

From 1975 to 1981, she was on the Women's Tennis Association board, serving in the roles of vice president and treasurer.[5]

Laura duPont was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977, the Charlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000, the Women's collegiate tennis Hall of fame in 2002[6] and then North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, DuPont moved back to North Carolina in 1997. She died at Duke University Medical Center in Durham on February 20, 2002.[7]

WTA Tour finals

Doubles 10 (5–5)

Legend
Grand Slam0
WTA Championships0
Tier I0
Tier II0
Tier III0
Tier IV & V0
Titles by surface
Hard3
Clay1
Grass0
Carpet1
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. September 17, 1978 San Antonio, Texas, USA Hard France Françoise Dürr South Africa Ilana Kloss
South Africa Marise Kruger
1–6, 4–6
Runner-up 2. November 5, 1978 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay Czechoslovakia Regina Maršíková France Françoise Dürr
United States Valerie Ziegenfuss
6–1, 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up 3. November 25, 1979 Brighton, England Carpet South Africa Ilana Kloss United States Ann Kiyomura
United States Anne Smith
2–6, 1–6
Winner 4. January 13, 1980 Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Carpet United States Pam Shriver Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec
United States Ann Kiyomura
6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 5. January 20, 1980 Kansas City, Missouri, USA Carpet United States Pam Shriver United States Billie Jean King
United States Martina Navratilova
3–6, 1–6
Winner 6. March 28, 1980 Carlsbad, California, USA Hard United States Pam Shriver United States Rosie Casals
United States JoAnne Russell
6–7, 6–4, 6–1
Winner 7. September 27, 1981 Atlanta, Georgia, USA Hard United States Betsy Nagelsen United States Rosie Casals
United States Candy Reynolds
6–4, 7–5
Runner-up 8. October 18, 1982 Tokyo, Japan Hard United States Barbara Jordan Japan Naoko Sato
Australia Brenda Remilton
6–2, 3–6, 3–6
Winner 9. October 24, 1982 Tokyo, Japan Hard United States Barbara Jordan Japan Naoko Sato
Australia Brenda Remilton
6–2, 6–7, 6–1
Winner 10. November 6, 1982 Hong Kong Clay United States Alycia Moulton South Africa Jennifer Mundel
South Africa Yvonne Vermaak
6–2, 4–6, 7–5

References

  1. Bostic, Stephanie, ed. (1979). USTA Player Records 1978. United States Tennis Association (USTA). p. 186.
  2. Year-end 1977 singles ranking at the WTA
  3. ITA - 2002 Inductee Laura duPont Archived 2006-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Inventory of the Office of the Women's Tennis Coach of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1976–2004
  5. John Barrett, ed. (1979). World of Tennis 1979 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 264. ISBN 978-0354090681.
  6. Inductees at the ITA Hall of fame
  7. "Laura DuPont, 52, tennis star, managed club for Shriver". The Baltimore Sun. February 24, 2002. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
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