Darlene Hard

Darlene Ruth Hard (born January 6, 1936) is a former professional tennis player from the U.S. 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.

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.
Turned pro1965
PlaysRight-handed
Int. Tennis HoF1973 (member page)
Singles
Career record0–0
Highest rankingNo. 2 (1957)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenQF (1962)
French OpenW (1960)
WimbledonF (1957, 1959)
US OpenW (1960, 1961)
Doubles
Career record0–0
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 PauloSingles
1963 São PauloDoubles

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, 3–6, 3–6.

Career
Queen Elizabeth II presents the Wimbledon championship trophy to Althea Gibson as Darlene Hard, at left, looks on (July 6, 1957)

According to Lance Tingay of the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, 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.[1] Hard was included in the year-end top-10 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]

In 1964, Hard won the singles title at the South African Championships, defeating Ann Haydon-Jones in the final, and soon afterwards turned professional when she became a teaching pro. She later owned two tennis stores.[3]

Hard was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1973.

According to a 2007 published report, she had been working for the University of Southern California since 1981.[3]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1957WimbledonGrass Althea Gibson3–6, 2–6
Loss1958U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Althea Gibson6–3, 1–6, 2–6
Loss1959WimbledonGrass Maria Bueno4–6, 3–6
Win1960French ChampionshipsClay Yola Ramírez Ochoa6–3, 6–4
Win1960U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Maria Bueno6–4, 10–12, 6–4
Win1961U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Ann Haydon6–3, 6–4
Loss1962U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Margaret Smith7–9, 4–6

Doubles: 18 (13 titles, 5 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1955French ChampionshipsClay Beverly Baker Shirley Bloomer
Pat Ward		7–5, 6–8, 13–11
Loss1956French ChampionshipsClay Dorothy Head Angela Buxton
Althea Gibson		8–6, 6–8, 1–6
Win1957French ChampionshipsClay Shirley Bloomer Yola Ramírez
Rosie Reyes		7–5, 4–6, 7–5
Win1957WimbledonGrass Althea Gibson Mary Bevis Hawton
Thelma Coyne Long		6–1, 6–2
Loss1957U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Althea Gibson Louise Brough
Margaret Osborne		2–6, 5–7
Win1958U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Jeanne Arth Maria Bueno
Althea Gibson		2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win1959WimbledonGrass Jeanne Arth Beverly Baker
Christine Truman		2–6, 6–2, 6–3
Win1959U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Jeanne Arth Althea Gibson
Sally Moore		6–2, 6–3
Win1960French ChampionshipsClay Maria Bueno Pat Ward
Ann Haydon Jones		6–2, 7–5
Win1960WimbledonGrass Maria Bueno Sandra Reynolds
Renee Schuurman		6–4, 6–0
Win1960U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Maria Bueno Althea Gibson
Deidre Catt		6–1, 6–1
Loss1961French ChampionshipsClay Maria Bueno Sandra Reynolds
Renee Schuurman		default
Win1961U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Lesley Turner Edda Buding
Yola Ramírez		6–4, 5–7, 6–0
Loss1962Australian ChampionshipsGrass Mary Carter Reitano Robyn Ebbern
Margaret Smith		4–6, 4–6
Win1962U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Maria Bueno Karen Hantze
Billie Jean Moffit		4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Win1963WimbledonGrass Maria Bueno Robyn Ebbern
Margaret Smith		8–6, 9–7
Loss1963U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Maria Bueno Robyn Ebbern
Margaret Smith		6–4, 8–10, 3–6
Win1969US OpenGrass Françoise Dürr Margaret Court
Virginia Wade		0–6, 6–3, 6–4

Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(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)
Tournament195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964 – 196819691970Career 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

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

See also

References
  1. 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.
  2. United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc. p. 261.
  3. "Hard is fine far from Centre Court". Los Angeles Times. July 3, 2007.
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