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,[2] as well as being the first female All-American[3] 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
Died	February 20, 2002(2002-02-20) (aged 52) Durham, North Carolina, USA
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) [1]
Plays	Right-handed [1]
Singles
Career record	79–122
Highest ranking	No. 9
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon	4R (1972, 1979)
US Open	QF (1971)
Doubles
Career record	117–119
Career titles	5
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	QF (1975)
Wimbledon	QF (1973, 1976)
US Open	QF (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.[2] 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, and a doubles and singles finalist in 1975. 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.[4]

Laura duPont was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977, the Charlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000, 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.[5]

WTA Tour finals

Doubles 10 (5–5)

Legend Grand Slam 0 WTA Championships 0 Tier I 0 Tier II 0 Tier III 0 Tier IV & V 0

Titles by surface Hard 3 Clay 1 Grass 0 Carpet 1

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1.	September 17, 1978	San Antonio, Texas, USA	Hard	Françoise Dürr	Ilana Kloss Marise Kruger	1–6, 4–6
Runner-up	2.	November 5, 1978	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	Regina Maršíková	Françoise Dürr Valerie Ziegenfuss	6–1, 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up	3.	November 25, 1979	Brighton, England	Carpet	Ilana Kloss	Ann Kiyomura Anne Smith	2–6, 1–6
Winner	4.	January 13, 1980	Cincinnati, Ohio, USA	Carpet	Pam Shriver	Mima Jaušovec Ann Kiyomura	6–3, 6–3
Runner-up	5.	January 20, 1980	Kansas City, Missouri, USA	Carpet	Pam Shriver	Billie Jean King Martina Navratilova	3–6, 1–6
Winner	6.	March 28, 1980	Carlsbad, California, USA	Hard	Pam Shriver	Rosie Casals JoAnne Russell	6–7, 6–4, 6–1
Winner	7.	September 27, 1981	Atlanta, Georgia, USA	Hard	Betsy Nagelsen	Rosie Casals Candy Reynolds	6–4, 7–5
Runner-up	8.	October 18, 1982	Tokyo, Japan	Hard	Barbara Jordan	Naoko Sato Brenda Remilton	6–2, 3–6, 3–6
Winner	9.	October 24, 1982	Tokyo, Japan	Hard	Barbara Jordan	Naoko Sato Brenda Remilton	6–2, 6–7, 6–1
Winner	10.	November 6, 1982	Hong Kong	Clay	Alycia Moulton	Jennifer Mundel 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. ITA - 2002 Inductee Laura duPont Archived 2006-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
3. Inventory of the Office of the Women's Tennis Coach of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1976–2004
4. John Barrett, ed. (1979). World of Tennis 1979 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 264. ISBN 978-0354090681.
5. "Laura DuPont, 52, tennis star, managed club for Shriver". The Baltimore Sun. February 24, 2002. Retrieved May 4, 2012.

External links

• Laura duPont at the Women's Tennis Association
• Laura duPont at the International Tennis Federation
• Inventory of the Office of the Women's Tennis Coach of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1976–1999, in the University Archives, UNC-Chapel Hill.