Doris Hart

Intro	American tennis player
A.K.A.	Doris Jane Hart
Was	Athlete Tennis player Autobiographer
From	United States of America
Type	Literature Sports
Gender	female
Birth	20 June 1925, St. Louis, USA
Death	29 May 2015, Coral Gables, USA (aged 90 years)
Star sign	Gemini

Doris Hart (June 20, 1925 – May 29, 2015) was a tennis player from the United States who was active in the 1940s and first half of the 1950s. She was ranked World No. 1 in 1951. She was the fourth player, and second woman, to win a Career Grand Slam in singles. She was the first of only three players (all women) to complete the career "Boxed Set" of Grand Slam titles, which is winning at least one title in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at all four Grand Slam events. Only Margaret Smith Court and she achieved this during the amateur era of the sport.

Tennis career

Hart reached 67 Grand Slam finals and won 35 titles, tying with Louise Brough for sixth on the all-time list (behind Margaret Smith Court (64), Martina Navratilova (59), Billie Jean King (39), Serena Williams (39), and Margaret Osborne duPont (37)). Six of her titles were in women's singles, 14 in women's doubles, and 15 in mixed doubles. Hart is one of only three players, all women, to have a "boxed set" of Grand Slam titles — every possible title (singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles) from all four Grand Slam tournaments. The others are Margaret Smith Court and Martina Navratilova. Hart was the first person to accomplish this feat. As a child, Hart suffered from osteomyelitis, which resulted in a permanently impaired right leg. She started playing tennis when she was 10 years old, greatly encouraged by her brother Bud. After losing seven Grand Slam finals from 1942 through 1946, Hart won her first Grand Slam title at the 1947 Wimbledon Championships in women's doubles. At that point, she was still a student at the University of Miami. Her first Grand Slam singles title came at the 1949 Australian National Championships, where she was the only non-Australian player in the draw. She also won singles titles at the 1950 and 1952 French International Championships, the 1951 Wimbledon Championships (routing doubles partner Shirley Fry in the final), and the 1954 and 1955 U. S. National Championships. The 1955 U. S. singles final was the last Grand Slam singles match of her career. Hart won the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles at the 1951 Wimbledon Championships, playing the finals of all three events on the same day (July 7, 1951). She also won the "triple crown" at the 1952 French International Championships and the 1954 U. S. National Championships. During her Wightman Cup career from 1946 through 1955, Hart was a perfect 14–0 in singles matches and 8–1 in doubles matches. Hart did not lose a Grand Slam women's doubles match from the 1951 French International Championships through the semifinals of the 1954 Wimbledon Championships, 43 matches in total, although she skipped 4 Grand Slam tournaments during this period. She also did not lose a mixed doubles match at the 13 Grand Slam tournaments she played from the 1951 French International Championships through the 1955 U. S. National Championships. She (and partner Stan Smith) finally lost in the third round of the 1968 Wimbledon Championships to Frew McMillan and Annette Van Zyl Du Plooy 6-3, 12-10. According to John Olliff and Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Hart was ranked in the world top ten from 1946 through 1955 (no rankings issued from 1940 through 1945), reaching a career high of World No. 1 in those rankings in 1951. Hart was included in the year-end top ten rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1942 through 1955. She was the top ranked U. S. player in 1954 and 1955. Hart never played Helen Wills Moody, Helen Jacobs, Alice Marble, Angela Mortimer, Ann Haydon Jones, Maria Bueno, or Darlene Hard in a Grand Slam singles tournament. Her win-loss record against her major rivals in those tournaments was as follows: Shirley Fry: 5-2 Althea Gibson: 1-0 Beverly Baker Fleitz: 1-0 Sarah Palfrey Cooke: 1-0 Louise Brough: 7-7 Margaret Osborne duPont: 3-6 Maureen Connolly: 1-5 Pauline Betz: 0-4 Hart retired from the tour in late 1955 to become a tennis teaching professional. Her autobiography, Tennis with Hart, was published that year. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969. She died on May 29, 2015, at her home in Coral Gables, Florida, aged 89.

Grand Slam record

Australian Championships (4) Singles champion: 1949 Singles runner-up: 1950 Women's Doubles champion: 1950 Women's Doubles runner-up: 1949 Mixed Doubles champion (2): 1949, 1950 French Championships (10) Singles champion (2): 1950, 1952 Singles runner-up (3): 1947, 1951, 1953 Women's Doubles champion (5): 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 Women's Doubles runner-up (2): 1946, 1947 Mixed Doubles champion (3): 1951, 1952, 1953 Mixed Doubles runner-up: 1948 Wimbledon (10) Singles champion: 1951 Singles runner-up (3): 1947, 1948, 1953 Women's Doubles champion (4): 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953 Women's Doubles runner-up (4): 1946, 1948, 1950, 1954 Mixed Doubles champion (5): 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955 Mixed Doubles runner-up: 1948 U.S. Championships (11) Singles champion (2): 1954, 1955 Singles runner-up (5): 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 Women's Doubles champion (4): 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 Women's Doubles runner-up (9): 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1955 Mixed Doubles champion (5): 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955 Mixed Doubles runner-up (2): 1945, 1950

Grand Slam finals

Singles (6 titles, 12 runners-up)

Loss	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1946	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Pauline Betz	9–11, 3–6
Loss	1947	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Margaret Osborne duPont	2–6, 4–6
Loss	1947	French International Championships	Clay	Patricia Canning Todd	3–6, 6–3, 4–6
Loss	1948	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Louise Brough	3–6, 6–8
Win	1949	Australian National Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	6–3, 6–4
Loss	1949	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 1–6
Loss	1950	Australian National Championships	Grass	Louise Brough	4–6, 6–3, 4–6
Win	1950	French International Championships	Clay	Patricia Canning Todd	6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Loss	1950	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 3–6
Loss	1951	French International Championships	Clay	Shirley Fry	3–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win	1951	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	6–1, 6–0
Win	1952	French International Championships	Clay	Shirley Fry	6–4, 6–4
Loss	1952	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Maureen Connolly	3–6, 5–7
Loss	1953	French International Championships	Clay	Maureen Connolly	2–6, 4–6
Loss	1953	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Maureen Connolly	6–8, 5–7
Loss	1953	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Maureen Connolly	2–6, 4–6
Win	1954	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Louise Brough	6–8, 6–1, 8–6
Win	1955	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Patricia Ward	6–4, 6–2

Women's doubles (14 titles, 16 runner-ups)

Loss	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1942	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Pauline Betz	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–2, 5–7, 0–6
Loss	1943	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Pauline Betz	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 3–6
Loss	1944	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Pauline Betz	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–4, 4–6, 3–6
Loss	1945	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Pauline Betz	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 3–6
Loss	1946	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Pauline Betz	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 6–2, 3–6
Loss	1946	French International Championships	Clay	Pauline Betz	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 6–0, 1–6
Win	1947	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Patricia Canning Todd	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 6–4, 7–5
Loss	1947	French International Championships	Clay	Patricia Canning Todd	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	5–7, 2–6
Loss	1947	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Patricia Canning Todd	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	7–5, 3–6, 5–7
Win	1948	French International Championships	Clay	Patricia Canning Todd	Mary Arnold Prentiss Shirley Fry	6–4, 6–2
Loss	1948	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Patricia Canning Todd	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	1–6, 1–6
Loss	1948	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Patricia Canning Todd	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 10–8, 1–6
Loss	1949	Australian National Championships	Grass	Marie Toomey	Nancye Wynne Bolton Thelma Coyne Long	0–6, 1–6
Loss	1949	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 8–10
Win	1950	Australian National Championships	Grass	Louise Brough	Nancye Wynne Bolton Thelma Coyne Long	6–3, 2–6, 6–3
Win	1950	French International Championships	Clay	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	1–6, 7–5, 6–2
Loss	1950	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 7–5, 1–6
Loss	1950	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	2–6, 3–6
Win	1951	French International Championships	Clay	Shirley Fry	Beryl Bartlett Barbara Scofield	10–8, 6–3
Win	1951	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–2, 13–11
Win	1951	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Nancy Chaffee Patricia Canning Todd	6–4, 6–2
Win	1952	French International Championships	Clay	Shirley Fry	Hazel Redick-Smith Julia Wipplinger	7–5, 6–1
Win	1952	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Maureen Connolly	8–6, 6–3
Win	1952	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Maureen Connolly	10–8, 6–4
Win	1953	French International Championships	Clay	Shirley Fry	Maureen Connolly Julia Sampson	6–4, 6–3
Win	1953	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Maureen Connolly Julia Sampson	6–0, 6–0
Win	1953	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–2, 7–9, 9–7
Loss	1954	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–4, 7–9, 1–6
Win	1954	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–4, 6–4
Loss	1955	U. S. National Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 6–1, 3–6

Grand Slam tournament timelines

Key

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

Singles

Tournament	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	Career SR	Win-Loss
Australian National Championships	A	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	W	F	A	A	A	A	A	1 / 2	8-1
French International Championships	NH	R	R	R	R	A	QF	F	SF	A	W	F	W	F	A	A	2 / 7	28-5
Wimbledon Championships	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	NH	QF	F	F	A	SF	W	QF	F	SF	SF	1 / 9	43-8
U. S. National Championships	2R	1R	QF	SF	QF	SF	F	SF	QF	F	F	SF	F	F	W	W	2 / 16	57-13
SR	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 3	0 / 3	0 / 3	1 / 2	1 / 4	1 / 3	1 / 3	0 / 3	1 / 2	1 / 2	6 / 34
Win-Loss	0-0	0-1	3-1	3-1	2-1	3-1	10-3	14-3	11-3	9-1	20-3	15-2	13-2	14-3	10-1	9-1		136-27

Women's doubles

Tournament	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956– 1967	1968	1969	Career SR
Australian National Championships	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	F	W	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	1 / 2
French International Championships	R	R	R	A	F	F	W	A	W	W	W	W	A	A	A	A	A	5 / 7
Wimbledon Championships	NH	NH	NH	NH	F	W	F	A	F	W	W	W	F	2R	A	2R	A	4 / 10
U. S. National Championships	F	F	F	F	SF	F	F	F	F	W	W	W	W	F	A	A	1R	4 / 15
SR	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 3	1 / 3	1 / 3	0 / 2	2 / 4	3 / 3	3 / 3	3 / 3	1 / 2	0 / 2	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 1	14 / 34

Mixed doubles

Tournament	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956–1967	1968	1969	Career SR
Australian National Championships	NH	NH	NH	NH	A	A	A	W	W	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	2 / 2
French International Championships	R	R	R	A	2R	A	F	A	3R	W	W	W	A	A	A	A	A	3 / 6
Wimbledon Championships	NH	NH	NH	NH	4R	SF	F	A	SF	W	W	W	W	W	A	3R	A	5 / 10
U. S. National Championships	2R	1R	QF	F	QF	1R	SF	QF	F	W	W	W	W	W	A	A	QF	5 / 15
SR	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 3	0 / 2	0 / 3	1 / 2	1 / 4	3 / 3	3 / 3	3 / 3	2 / 2	2 / 2	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 1	15 / 33

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation. In 1946 and 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon. Hart did not play at this event. Her opponent got a walkover.

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