Darlene Hard

Darlene Hard
Hard (left) congratulates Althea Gibson at the 1957 Wimbledon Singles Championships.
Full nameDarlene Ruth Hard
Country (sports) United States
Born(1936-01-06)January 6, 1936
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 2, 2021(2021-12-02) (aged 85)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Turned pro1964 (amateur from 1953)
Retired1970
PlaysRight-handed
Int. Tennis HoF1973 (member page)
Singles
Career record498-156 (76.1%)
Career titles43
Highest rankingNo. 2 (1957)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1962)
French OpenW (1960)
WimbledonF (1957, 1959)
US OpenW (1960, 1961)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenF (1962)
French OpenW (1955, 1957, 1960)
WimbledonW (1957, 1959, 1960, 1963)
US OpenW (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1969)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian OpenF (1962)
French OpenW (1955, 1961)
WimbledonW (1957, 1959, 1960)
US OpenF (1956, 1957, 1961)
Team competitions
Wightman CupW (1957, 1959, 1962, 1963)
Medal record
Pan American Games
1963 São Paulo Doubles
1963 São Paulo Singles

Darlene Ruth Hard (January 6, 1936 – December 2, 2021) was an American professional tennis player, known for her aggressive 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, and was the finest doubles player of her generation.[1] 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.

According to Lance Tingay, Hard was ranked among the top 10 in the world from 1957 through 1963, reaching a career high of No. 2 in those rankings in 1957, 1960, and 1961.[2] The Miami Herald ranked her No. 1 for the 1961 season.[3] In 1957, she made her first Wimbledon finals appearance, losing to Althea Gibson.[4]

Hard was included in the year-end top-10 rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1954 through 1963. Charles Friedman wrote in The New York Times that year that "as a doubles player, she has no peer."[5] She was the top-ranked U.S. player from 1960 through 1963.[6] With her younger doubles partner Billie Jean King, she helped the US team to victory in the 1963 Federation Cup. Hard was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1973.[7]

College career

Hard graduated from Pomona College in 1961.[8] She was the first woman inducted into the college's athletic hall of fame in 1974.[9]

Career

She was part of the American Wightman Cup team that won the trophy against Great Britain in 1957, 1959, 1962 and 1963.[10][4]

In 1964, Hard won the singles title at the South African Championships, defeating Ann Haydon-Jones in the final in straight sets, and soon afterwards turned professional when she became a teaching pro.[10] She later owned two tennis stores.[11]

According to a 2007 published report, she had been working for the University of Southern California since 1981 in the Publications Department.[11]

Personal life

In later life, Hard lived in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles. She worked at the University of Southern California in the Publications Dept. for four decades, aiding in the design and fact-checking of the University Yearbook.[1]

Hard was openly bisexual.[12]

Hard died at the age of 85 on December 2, 2021, from complications after a fall.[1][7][13] She was survived by her sister, Claire.[14] Hard's brief marriage to Richard Waggoner from 1977–1979 ended in divorce, and she had no children.[12]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1957 Wimbledon Grass Althea Gibson 3–6, 2–6
Loss 1958 U.S. Championships Grass Althea Gibson 6–3, 1–6, 2–6
Loss 1959 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno 4–6, 3–6
Win 1960 French Championships Clay Yola Ramírez 6–3, 6–4
Win 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno 6–4, 10–12, 6–4
Win 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Ann Haydon 6–3, 6–4
Loss 1962 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Court 7–9, 4–6

Doubles: 18 (13 titles, 5 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1955 French Championships Clay Beverly Baker Shirley Bloomer
Pat Ward		 7–5, 6–8, 13–11
Loss 1956 French Championships Clay Dorothy Head Angela Buxton
Althea Gibson		 8–6, 6–8, 1–6
Win 1957 French Championships Clay Shirley Bloomer Yola Ramírez
Rosie Reyes		 7–5, 4–6, 7–5
Win 1957 Wimbledon Grass Althea Gibson Mary Bevis Hawton
Thelma Coyne Long		 6–1, 6–2
Loss 1957 U.S. Championships Grass Althea Gibson Louise Brough
Margaret Osborne		 2–6, 5–7
Win 1958 U.S. Championships Grass Jeanne Arth Maria Bueno
Althea Gibson		 2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win 1959 Wimbledon Grass Jeanne Arth Beverly Baker
Christine Truman		 2–6, 6–2, 6–3
Win 1959 U.S. Championships Grass Jeanne Arth Maria Bueno
Sally Moore		 6–2, 6–3
Win 1960 French Championships Clay Maria Bueno Pat Ward
Ann Haydon		 6–2, 7–5
Win 1960 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno Sandra Reynolds
Renée Schuurman		 6–4, 6–0
Win 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno Ann Haydon
Deidre Catt		 6–1, 6–1
Loss 1961 French Championships Clay Maria Bueno Sandra Reynolds
Renée Schuurman		 default
Win 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Lesley Turner Edda Buding
Yola Ramírez		 6–4, 5–7, 6–0
Loss 1962 Australian Championships Grass Mary Carter Reitano Robyn Ebbern
Margaret Smith		 4–6, 4–6
Win 1962 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno Karen Hantze
Billie Jean Moffit		 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Win 1963 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno Robyn Ebbern
Margaret Smith		 8–6, 9–7
Loss 1963 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno Robyn Ebbern
Margaret Smith		 6–4, 8–10, 3–6
Win 1969 US Open Grass Françoise Dürr Margaret Court
Virginia Wade		 0–6, 6–3, 6–4

Mixed doubles: 11 (5 titles, 6 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1955 French Championships Clay Gordon Forbes Jenny Staley
Luis Ayala		 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
Loss 1956 French Championships Clay Bob Howe Thelma Coyne Long
Luis Ayala		 6–4, 4–6, 1–6
Loss 1956 U.S. Championships Grass Lew Hoad Margaret Osborne
Ken Rosewall		 7–9, 1–6
Win 1957 Wimbledon Grass Mervyn Rose Althea Gibson
Neale Fraser		 6–4, 7–5
Loss 1957 U.S. Championships Grass Bob Howe Althea Gibson
Kurt Nielsen		 3–6, 7–9
Win 1959 Wimbledon Grass Rod Laver Maria Bueno
Neale Fraser		 6–4, 6–3
Win 1960 Wimbledon Grass Rod Laver Maria Bueno
Bob Howe		 13–11, 3–6, 8–6
Win 1961 French Championships Clay Rod Laver Vera Suková
Jirí Javorský		 6–0, 2–6, 6–3
Loss 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Dennis Ralston Margaret Smith
Bob Mark		 default
Loss 1962 Australian Championships Grass Roger Taylor Lesley Turner
Fred Stolle		 3–6, 7–9
Loss 1963 Wimbledon Grass Bob Hewitt Margaret Smith
Ken Fletcher		 9–11, 4–6

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
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
U.S. Championships/US Open 2R SF 3R QF SF F SF W W F QF A 2R 2R 2 / 13
Strike rate 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

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Smith, Harrison (December 8, 2021). "Darlene Hard, Tennis Hall of Famer and 'best doubles player of her generation,' dies at 85". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ 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 978-0-942257-41-0.
  3. ^ "Fullmer, Tittle, Sellers Star, But None Measure Up to Maris". The Miami Herald. December 28, 1961.
  4. ^ a b "International Tennis Hall of Fame". www.tennisfame.com. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  5. ^ Friedman, Charles (December 30, 1963). "Darlene Hard Heads U.S. Women's Tennis Rankings Fourth Year in Row; Two California Women Top Lawn Tennis Rankings". The New York Times.
  6. ^ United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H. O. Zimman, Inc. p. 261.
  7. ^ a b "Three-time tennis major winner Hard dies at 85". ESPN. December 4, 2021. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  8. ^ "1960". Pomona College Timeline. November 7, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  9. ^ "Darlene R. Hard". ITA Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Darlene Hard…Tribute To A Little Known Great Player". WLM Tennis. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Hard is fine far from Centre Court". Los Angeles Times. July 3, 2007.
  12. ^ a b "Darlene Hard, American tennis star of the 1950s and 1960s who won 21 grand slam titles – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. January 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Harris, Beth (December 4, 2021). "Darlene Hard, 3-time major tennis champion, dies at 85". WDIV-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  14. ^ "Darlene Hard obituary". The Guardian. December 23, 2021.
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