Françoise Durr
Encyclopedia
Françoise Durr is a retired tennis
player from France. She won 26 major singles titles and over 60 doubles titles.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail
, Bud Collins
, and the Women's Tennis Association
, Durr was ranked in the world top ten from 1965 through 1967, from 1970 through 1972, and from 1974 through 1976, reaching a career high of World No. 3 in those rankings in 1967. She finished second to Billie Jean King
in prize money earnings in 1971.
Durr reached a total of 27 Grand Slam
finals – 1 in singles, 18 in women's doubles, and 8 in mixed doubles. She won 12 of them.
. She defeated Maria Bueno
in a quarterfinal before defeating Lesley Turner Bowrey
in the final. In addition to her singles championship, Durr won seven Grand Slam
women's doubles titles and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She was the runner-up in eleven Grand Slam women's doubles events and four Grand Slam mixed doubles events.
Durr won eight doubles titles at the French Championships. The first of Durr's record-tying five consecutive women's doubles titles was in 1967. This record is shared with Martina Navratilova and Gigi Fernández
, who, like Durr, achieved it with separate partners. Durr teamed with Ann Haydon Jones to win the titles in 1968
and 1969
and with Gail Sherriff Chanfreau
in 1967
, 1970
, and 1971
. Durr was the runner-up in women's doubles in 1965
with Jeanine Lieffrig, in 1973
with Betty Stöve
, and in 1979
with Virginia Wade
. Durr teamed with Jean Claude Barclay to win the mixed doubles title in 1968, 1971, and 1973. They were runners-up in 1969, 1970, and 1972. In total, Durr reached 15 finals at the French Open, winning 8 of them.
Durr won two doubles titles at the US Open. She won the women's doubles title in 1969 with Darlene Hard
and in 1972 with Stove. Durr was the runner-up in that event in 1971 with Chanfreau and in 1974 with Stöve. Durr was the runner-up in mixed doubles in 1969, teaming with Dennis Ralston
.
She won the Wimbledon
mixed doubles title in 1976
with Tony Roche
. She was the runner-up in women's doubles at Wimbledon in 1965
with Lieffrig, 1968
with Jones, 1970
with Wade, 1972
with Judy Tegart Dalton, and 1973
and 1975
with Stöve. Additionally, Durr was a singles semifinalist at the Championships in 1970.
Durr was rarely a participant at the Australian Championships
and Australian Open, as she appeared there three times, in 1965, 1967, and 1969
. She reached the singles quarterfinals in 1965 and 1967 and the doubles semifinals with Jones in 1969.
Durr and Betty Stöve won the 1979 WTA Tour Championships
in doubles against Sue Barker
and Ann Kiyomura
, beating the 7–6, 7–6 in the final. She continued to play the French Open doubles event until 1984, reaching the second round for four straight years before retiring.
Durr played for France
on the France Fed Cup team
14 times, finishing her career with a 31–17 record. She played 27 ties, with a 16–8 singles record and a 15–9 doubles record.
Durr was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
in 2003 for her extraordinary career in doubles and for winning the French Championships in singles.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
Durr won over 60 major doubles titles in her career with various partners and featured in many more finals and semi-finals. Durr featured in many major singles finals and semi-finals in a career spanning over 20 years . She was French Number 1 for almost all that time. Durr was an integral member of France's Fed Cup
team in 1963-1967, 1970, 1972, and 1977-1979. Her career win-loss record was 16-8 in singles and 15-9 in doubles.
Durr was the first woman to play 100 events on the Virginia Slims Tour (1978). Durr, Ann Jones, Billie Jean King and Rosemary Casals were the first women to sign professional contracts and organise their own tours at the start of the open era in 1968. Durr played consistently on the World Team Tennis circuit 1974-1978.
She was the first woman to wear halter neck backless dresses on the circuit, notably at Wimbledon. Her socks worn on U.S. tours were also unconventional, knee high tube pattern coloured socks with shorts. Durr wore coloured matching accessories with her chic stylish dresses which pushed the white rule at Wimbledon as far as it could go until in 1978 before her match with Betty Stöve she was asked to change, as her outfit featured too much colour and was deemed unacceptable. On returning to court she soon hit three winners in a row but lost the match.
Once in a match, becoming tired of seeing a relative on the sidelines gesticulating to her opponent, Durr called the opponent to the net and told her that her mother wanted her to play to her (Durr's) backhand (bad advice). Another time when there was a disputed point at the end of a game and her opponent was still on court protesting Durr went promptly and sat down totally ignoring it all and claiming the game. On occasions when things did not go as planned she would sometimes use risqué words with which to chastise herself, often in the language of the country in which she was playing.
Durr played with unorthodox grips and strokes. Her strokes would sometimes require her to virtually sit for a low backhand or kneel on one knee for a passing shot. The French Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) issued a postage stamp of her playing the kneeling pass down the line. Many of her moves and her serve were unique. The service was slow but spun and looped deep into the box: it was effective enough in keeping the opponent back, and its awkward bounce caused further difficulty.
The strongest points of Françoise Durr's game at her peak were her speed, anticipation, and placement of the ball. An excellent tactician, she possessed skilful groundstrokes and a lob considered by many experts as perhaps second only to Chris Evert in quality. She used her backhand and lob to great effect particularly on slower courts, which gave her more time to set up her shots. The lob unusually was often used early in a rally as an offensive shot to win the point, not as a defensive move to get out of trouble. She additionally had a tough mental attitude and tenacity, trained to great physical condition, developing strong legs, which with her unique grips and strokes made her play very unpredictable for opponents. Further skills of advantage were the return of serve, always strong and often dipping to the incoming server's feet, and her coverage of the court making it hard to get a ball past her.
In 1993, Durr was appointed the first Technical Director of Women's Tennis for the French Tennis Federation (FFT). She was the captain of the French Fed Cup
team from 1993 through 1996 and the co-captain of the team with Yannick Noah
in 1997 when they won the competition. She retired from the FFT in February 2002.
She received the WTA
Tour's Honorary Membership Award in 1988 for her contributions to the founding, development, and direction of women's professional tennis. In 2003, Durr was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
. She received the Fed Cup Award of Excellence in 2005, presented jointly by the International Tennis Federation
and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In April 2010 a French national honour was presented to Françoise Durr in recognition of her contribution to sport and the advancement of women in sport. She received the Medal and title of Officer of the National Order of Merit (Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite
, France).
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player from France. She won 26 major singles titles and over 60 doubles titles.
According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Bud Collins
Bud Collins
-External links:*** 2001 interview with Collins*...
, and the Women's Tennis Association
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
, Durr was ranked in the world top ten from 1965 through 1967, from 1970 through 1972, and from 1974 through 1976, reaching a career high of World No. 3 in those rankings in 1967. She finished second to Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
in prize money earnings in 1971.
Durr reached a total of 27 Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
finals – 1 in singles, 18 in women's doubles, and 8 in mixed doubles. She won 12 of them.
Career
Durr is best remembered for winning the singles title at the 1967 French Championships1967 French Championships (tennis)
List of Champions of the 1967 French Championships :-Men's Singles: Roy Emerson defeated Tony Roche 6-1 6-4 2-6 6-2-Women's Singles: Françoise Durr defeated Lesley Turner 4-6 6-3 6-4...
. She defeated Maria Bueno
Maria Bueno
Maria Esther Andion Bueno is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. During her 11-year career , she won 19 Major titles ....
in a quarterfinal before defeating Lesley Turner Bowrey
Lesley Turner Bowrey
Lesley Rosemary Turner Bowrey AM is an Australian female tennis player.Bowrey won 13 Grand Slam titles during her career: two in singles, seven in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles. She lost in the final of 14 other Grand Slam events.Bowrey twice won the singles title at the French...
in the final. In addition to her singles championship, Durr won seven Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
women's doubles titles and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She was the runner-up in eleven Grand Slam women's doubles events and four Grand Slam mixed doubles events.
Durr won eight doubles titles at the French Championships. The first of Durr's record-tying five consecutive women's doubles titles was in 1967. This record is shared with Martina Navratilova and Gigi Fernández
Gigi Fernández
Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández is a former professional tennis player, the first female athlete from her native Puerto Rico to turn professional, the first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal and the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.Fernandez won 17 Grand...
, who, like Durr, achieved it with separate partners. Durr teamed with Ann Haydon Jones to win the titles in 1968
1968 French Open
The 1968 French Open was a tennis tournament that was held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris in France from May 27 through June 9, 1968. It was the 67th edition of the French Open, the 38th to be open to foreign competitors, and the second Grand Slam of the year...
and 1969
1969 French Open
List of the 1969 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Rod Laver def. Ken Rosewall, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4-Women's singles: Margaret Court def. Ann Haydon Jones, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3-Men's doubles:...
and with Gail Sherriff Chanfreau
Gail Chanfreau
Gail Chanfreau , also known as Gail Lovera and Gail Benedetti, is a former amateur and professional tennis player....
in 1967
1967 French Championships (tennis)
List of Champions of the 1967 French Championships :-Men's Singles: Roy Emerson defeated Tony Roche 6-1 6-4 2-6 6-2-Women's Singles: Françoise Durr defeated Lesley Turner 4-6 6-3 6-4...
, 1970
1970 French Open
List of the 1970 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Željko Franulović, 6–2, 6–4, 6–0*It was Kodeš's 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Margaret Court def...
, and 1971
1971 French Open
List of the 1971 French Open Champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Ilie Năstase, 8–6, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5-Women's singles: Evonne Goolagong Cawley def. Helen Gourlay Cawley, 6–3, 7–5-Men's doubles:...
. Durr was the runner-up in women's doubles in 1965
1965 French Championships (tennis)
List of Champions of the 1965 French Championships :-Men's singles: Fred Stolle defeated Tony Roche 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3-Women's singles: Lesley Turner Bowrey defeated Margaret Court 6–3, 6–4...
with Jeanine Lieffrig, in 1973
1973 French Open
List of the 1973 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Ilie Năstase def. Nikola Pilić, 6–3, 6–3, 6–0*It was Năstase's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st French Open title.-Women's singles: Margaret Court def...
with Betty Stöve
Betty Stöve
Betty Stöve is a former Dutch professional tennis player. She is best remembered for reaching the ladies' singles final at Wimbledon in 1977. She also won ten Grand Slam titles in women's doubles and mixed doubles.-Career:...
, and in 1979
1979 French Open
List of the 1979 French Open Champions:- Men's singles : Björn Borg def. Víctor Pecci, 6–3, 6–1, 6–7, 6–4*It was Borg's 7th career Grand Slam title, and his 4th French Open title.-Women's singles: Chris Evert def...
with Virginia Wade
Virginia Wade
Sarah Virginia Wade, OBE is a former English tennis player. She won three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam doubles championships. She won the women's singles championship at Wimbledon on 1 July 1977, in that tournament's centenary year, the last time any Briton has won a...
. Durr teamed with Jean Claude Barclay to win the mixed doubles title in 1968, 1971, and 1973. They were runners-up in 1969, 1970, and 1972. In total, Durr reached 15 finals at the French Open, winning 8 of them.
Durr won two doubles titles at the US Open. She won the women's doubles title in 1969 with Darlene Hard
Darlene Hard
Darlene Hard is an American former amateur tennis player. Known for her volleying ability and strong serves, she captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S...
and in 1972 with Stove. Durr was the runner-up in that event in 1971 with Chanfreau and in 1974 with Stöve. Durr was the runner-up in mixed doubles in 1969, teaming with Dennis Ralston
Dennis Ralston
Richard Dennis Ralston is an American former professional tennis player. He attended the University of Southern California and won NCAA championships under their legendary coach, George Toley. He was coached in his earlier years by the legendary tennis player, Pancho Gonzales...
.
She won the Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
mixed doubles title in 1976
1976 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 1976 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's singles: Björn Borg defeated Ilie Năstase, 6–4, 6–2, 9–7-Women's singles: Chris Evert def. Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 6–3, 4–6, 8–6-Men's doubles:...
with Tony Roche
Tony Roche
Anthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching...
. She was the runner-up in women's doubles at Wimbledon in 1965
1965 Wimbledon Championships
-Men's Singles: Roy Emerson defeated Fred Stolle 6-2 6-4 6-4-Women's Singles: Margaret Court defeated Maria Bueno 6-4, 7-5...
with Lieffrig, 1968
1968 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 1968 Wimbledon Champions. This tournament marked the dawn of a new era for Wimbledon, as it became the second Grand Slam to allow professionals to compete. Champions Laver and King had already won Wimbledon twice before in the amateur era...
with Jones, 1970
1970 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 1970 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's Singles: John Newcombe defeated Ken Rosewall, 5–7, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1*It was Newcombe's 3rd career Grand Slam title , and his 2nd Wimbledon title.-Women's singles:...
with Wade, 1972
1972 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 1972 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Stan Smith def. Ilie Năstase, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5*It was Smith's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def...
with Judy Tegart Dalton, and 1973
1973 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 1973 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Alex Metreveli, 6–1, 9–8, 6–3-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def. Chris Evert, 6–0, 7–5...
and 1975
1975 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 1975 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Arthur Ashe def. Jimmy Connors, 6–1, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4*It was Ashe's 3rd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def...
with Stöve. Additionally, Durr was a singles semifinalist at the Championships in 1970.
Durr was rarely a participant at the Australian Championships
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
and Australian Open, as she appeared there three times, in 1965, 1967, and 1969
1969 Australian Open
The 1969 Australian Open was the first Australian Open and the final Grand Slam to allow both amateur and professionals. The tournament was played in Brisbane on Milton's grass courts between a men's field of 48 and a women's field of 32. The semifinal was played in 105-degree heat...
. She reached the singles quarterfinals in 1965 and 1967 and the doubles semifinals with Jones in 1969.
Durr and Betty Stöve won the 1979 WTA Tour Championships
WTA Tour Championships
The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The month, city and number of players has changed since the first edition in 1972...
in doubles against Sue Barker
Sue Barker
Susan Barker, MBE is an English television presenter and former professional tennis player. During her tennis career, she won the women's singles title at the French Open and reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 3...
and Ann Kiyomura
Ann Kiyomura
Ann Kiyomura-Hayashi is a former professional tennis player.Kiyomura played on the WTA Tour from 1973 to 1984. She played in 11 US Opens, reaching the fourth round in 1978. In 1975, she won the Wimbledon women's doubles title, playing with Kazuko Sawamatsu...
, beating the 7–6, 7–6 in the final. She continued to play the French Open doubles event until 1984, reaching the second round for four straight years before retiring.
Durr played for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on the France Fed Cup team
France Fed Cup team
The France Fed Cup team represents France in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Fédération Française de Tennis. They currently compete in the World Group.-Current Team:* Alizé Cornet* Mathilde Johansson* Pauline Parmentier...
14 times, finishing her career with a 31–17 record. She played 27 ties, with a 16–8 singles record and a 15–9 doubles record.
Durr was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. The hall of fame and honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis facility.-History:The hall of fame and...
in 2003 for her extraordinary career in doubles and for winning the French Championships in singles.
Singles finals (1 win)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| Winner | 1967 1967 French Championships (tennis) List of Champions of the 1967 French Championships :-Men's Singles: Roy Emerson defeated Tony Roche 6-1 6-4 2-6 6-2-Women's Singles: Françoise Durr defeated Lesley Turner 4-6 6-3 6-4... |
French Championships | Clay |  Lesley Turner BowreyLesley Turner Bowrey Lesley Rosemary Turner Bowrey AM is an Australian female tennis player.Bowrey won 13 Grand Slam titles during her career: two in singles, seven in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles. She lost in the final of 14 other Grand Slam events.Bowrey twice won the singles title at the French... |
4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Women's doubles finals, 18 (7 wins, 11 losses)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-Up | 1965 1965 French Championships (tennis) List of Champions of the 1965 French Championships :-Men's singles: Fred Stolle defeated Tony Roche 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3-Women's singles: Lesley Turner Bowrey defeated Margaret Court 6–3, 6–4... |
French Championships | Clay |  Jeanine Lieffrig |
Margaret Court Leslie Turner Bowrey |
6–3, 6–1 |
| Runner-Up | 1965 1965 Wimbledon Championships -Men's Singles: Roy Emerson defeated Fred Stolle 6-2 6-4 6-4-Women's Singles: Margaret Court defeated Maria Bueno 6-4, 7-5... |
Wimbledon Championships The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
Grass | Jeanine Lieffrig |
 Maria BuenoMaria Bueno Maria Esther Andion Bueno is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. During her 11-year career , she won 19 Major titles ....  Billie Jean KingBillie Jean King Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society... |
6–2, 7–5 |
| Winner | 1967 1967 French Championships (tennis) List of Champions of the 1967 French Championships :-Men's Singles: Roy Emerson defeated Tony Roche 6-1 6-4 2-6 6-2-Women's Singles: Françoise Durr defeated Lesley Turner 4-6 6-3 6-4... |
French Championships | Clay | Gail Sheriff Chanfreau Gail Chanfreau Gail Chanfreau , also known as Gail Lovera and Gail Benedetti, is a former amateur and professional tennis player.... |
 Annette Van Zyl DuPlooyAnnette Van Zyl Annette Van Zyl is a former South African tennis player. She was ranked in the top ten female players during the mid nineteen sixties and in 1966, with Frew McMillan, she won the French Open Mixed Doubles title, defeating Ann Haydon Jones and Clark Graebner in three sets, 1–6, 6–3, 6–2... Pat Walkden |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Runner-Up | 1967 1967 Wimbledon Championships List of Champions of the 1967 Wimbledon Championships:-Men's Singles: John Newcombe defeated Wilhelm P. Bungert, 6–3 6–1 6–1-Women's Singles: Billie Jean King defeated Ann Haydon-Jones, 6–3, 6–4-Men's Doubles:... |
Wimbledon Championships (2) | Grass |  Ann Haydon Jones |
Rosemary Casals Rosemary Casals Rosemary "Rosie" Casals is a former American professional tennis player.Rosemary Casals earned her reputation as a rebel in the staid tennis world when she began competing in the early 1960s. During a tennis career that spanned more than two decades, she won more than 90 tournaments and worked for... Billie Jean King |
9–11, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1968 1968 French Open The 1968 French Open was a tennis tournament that was held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris in France from May 27 through June 9, 1968. It was the 67th edition of the French Open, the 38th to be open to foreign competitors, and the second Grand Slam of the year... |
French Open (2) | Clay | Ann Haydon Jones |
Rosemary Casals Billie Jean King |
7–5, 4–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1969 1969 French Open List of the 1969 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Rod Laver def. Ken Rosewall, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4-Women's singles: Margaret Court def. Ann Haydon Jones, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3-Men's doubles:... |
French Open (3) | Clay | Ann Haydon Jones |
Nancy Richey Nancy Richey Nancy Richey is a former tennis player from the United States.Richey won two Grand Slam singles titles and four Grand Slam women's doubles titles . She was ranked World No... Margaret Court |
6–0, 4–6, 7–5 |
| Winner | 1969 | US Open | Grass | Darlene Hard Darlene Hard Darlene Hard is an American former amateur tennis player. Known for her volleying ability and strong serves, she captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S... |
Margaret Court Virginia Wade Virginia Wade Sarah Virginia Wade, OBE is a former English tennis player. She won three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam doubles championships. She won the women's singles championship at Wimbledon on 1 July 1977, in that tournament's centenary year, the last time any Briton has won a... |
0–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1970 1970 French Open List of the 1970 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Željko Franulović, 6–2, 6–4, 6–0*It was Kodeš's 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Margaret Court def... |
French Open (4) | Clay | Gail Sheriff Chanfreau |
Rosemary Casals Billy Jean King |
6–1, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Runner-Up | 1970 1970 Wimbledon Championships List of the 1970 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's Singles: John Newcombe defeated Ken Rosewall, 5–7, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1*It was Newcombe's 3rd career Grand Slam title , and his 2nd Wimbledon title.-Women's singles:... |
Wimbledon Championships (3) | Grass | Virginia Wade |
Rosemary Casals Billie Jean King |
6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 1971 1971 French Open List of the 1971 French Open Champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Ilie Năstase, 8–6, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5-Women's singles: Evonne Goolagong Cawley def. Helen Gourlay Cawley, 6–3, 7–5-Men's doubles:... |
French Open (5) | Clay | Gail Sheriff Chanfreau |
Helen Gourlay Cawley Kerry Harris Kerry Harris Kerri Harris is an Australian former professional tennis player, active from 1967 to 1975, who reached the semi-final of the 1972 Australian Open, and reached four Grand Slam doubles finals, of which she won one, in the 1972 Australian Open.-Career:Harris first reached a Grand Slam final in the... |
6–4, 6–1 |
| Runner-Up | 1971 | US Open | Grass | Gail Sheriff Chanfreau |
Rosemary Casals Judy Tegart Dalton |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-Up | 1972 1972 Wimbledon Championships List of the 1972 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Stan Smith def. Ilie Năstase, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5*It was Smith's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def... |
Wimbledon Championships (4) | Grass | Judy Tegart Dalton |
Billy Jean King Betty StöveBetty Stöve Betty Stöve is a former Dutch professional tennis player. She is best remembered for reaching the ladies' singles final at Wimbledon in 1977. She also won ten Grand Slam titles in women's doubles and mixed doubles.-Career:... |
6–2, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 1972 | US Open (2) | Grass | Betty Stöve |
Margaret Court Virginia Wade |
6–3, 1–6, 6–4 |
| Runner-Up | 1973 1973 French Open List of the 1973 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Ilie Năstase def. Nikola Pilić, 6–3, 6–3, 6–0*It was Năstase's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st French Open title.-Women's singles: Margaret Court def... |
French Open (2) | Clay | Betty Stöve |
Margaret Court Virginia Wade |
6–2, 6–3 |
| Runner-Up | 1973 1973 Wimbledon Championships List of the 1973 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Alex Metreveli, 6–1, 9–8, 6–3-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def. Chris Evert, 6–0, 7–5... |
Wimbledon Championships (5) | Grass | Betty Stöve |
Rosemary Casals Billy Jean King |
6–1, 4–6, 7–5 |
| Runner-Up | 1974 | US Open (2) | Grass | Betty Stöve |
Rosemary Casals Billie Jean King |
7–6, 6–7, 6–4 |
| Runner-Up | 1975 1975 Wimbledon Championships List of the 1975 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Arthur Ashe def. Jimmy Connors, 6–1, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4*It was Ashe's 3rd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def... |
Wimbledon Championships (6) | Grass | Betty Stöve |
Ann Kiyomura Ann Kiyomura Ann Kiyomura-Hayashi is a former professional tennis player.Kiyomura played on the WTA Tour from 1973 to 1984. She played in 11 US Opens, reaching the fourth round in 1978. In 1975, she won the Wimbledon women's doubles title, playing with Kazuko Sawamatsu...  Kazuko SawamatsuKazuko Sawamatsu Kazuko Sawamatsu is a retired Japanese professional tennis player. Along with Ann Kiyomura, she is the first person of Asian desent to win a Grand Slam Title, as well as being the first Asian national to do so.... |
7–5, 1–6, 7–5 |
| Runner-Up | 1979 1979 French Open List of the 1979 French Open Champions:- Men's singles : Björn Borg def. Víctor Pecci, 6–3, 6–1, 6–7, 6–4*It was Borg's 7th career Grand Slam title, and his 4th French Open title.-Women's singles: Chris Evert def... |
French Open (3) | Clay | Virginia Wade |
Betty Stöve Wendy Turnbull Wendy Turnbull Wendy Turnbull, MBE, is a retired Australian professional tennis player. During her career, she won 9 Grand Slam titles, 4 of them in women's doubles and 5 of them in mixed doubles. She also was a 3-time Grand Slam singles runner-up and won 13 singles titles and 55 doubles titles.-Career:Turnbull... |
3–6, 7–5, 6–4 |
Mixed Doubles finals, 8 (4 wins, 4 losses)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 1968 1968 French Open The 1968 French Open was a tennis tournament that was held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris in France from May 27 through June 9, 1968. It was the 67th edition of the French Open, the 38th to be open to foreign competitors, and the second Grand Slam of the year... |
French Open | Clay | Jean-Claude Barclay |
Billie Jean King Billie Jean King Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society... Owen DavidsonOwen Davidson ' was a professional tennis player of the 1960s and 1970s.Partnering Billie Jean King, Davidson managed to win eight grand slam mixed doubles titles. Davidson was one of very few to win a calendar year slam for mixed doubles, when he won the Australian Championships, French Championships,... |
6–1, 6–4 |
| Runner-Up | 1969 1969 French Open List of the 1969 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Rod Laver def. Ken Rosewall, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4-Women's singles: Margaret Court def. Ann Haydon Jones, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3-Men's doubles:... |
French Open | Clay | Jean-Claude Barclay |
Margaret Court Marty Riessen Marty Riessen Marty Riessen played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s. He was ranked as high as No. 11 in the world in singles on the ATP Rankings... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| Runner-Up | 1969 | US Open | Grass | Dennis Ralston Dennis Ralston Richard Dennis Ralston is an American former professional tennis player. He attended the University of Southern California and won NCAA championships under their legendary coach, George Toley. He was coached in his earlier years by the legendary tennis player, Pancho Gonzales... |
Margaret Court Marty Riessen |
6–4, 7–5 |
| Runner-Up | 1970 1970 French Open List of the 1970 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Željko Franulović, 6–2, 6–4, 6–0*It was Kodeš's 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Margaret Court def... |
French Open (2) | Clay | Jean-Claude Barclay |
Billie Jean King Bob Hewitt Bob Hewitt Robert "Bob" Anthony John Hewitt is a former professional male tennis player from Australia... |
3–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1971 1971 French Open List of the 1971 French Open Champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Ilie Năstase, 8–6, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5-Women's singles: Evonne Goolagong Cawley def. Helen Gourlay Cawley, 6–3, 7–5-Men's doubles:... |
French Open (2) | Clay | Jean-Claude Barclay |
Winnie Shaw Winnie Shaw Winifred Mason Shaw was a Scottish tennis player. In 2002 she was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. She was born in Glasgow....  Thomas Lejus |
6–2, 6–4 |
| Runner-Up | 1972 1972 French Open List of the 1972 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Andrés Gimeno def. Patrick Proisy, 4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–1*It was Gimeno's 1st Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def... |
French Open (3) | Clay | Jean-Claude Barclay |
Evonne Goolagong Cawley Kim Warwick Kim Warwick Kim Warwick is a former Australian professional male tennis player mostly known for his doubles titles with Mark Edmondson, and for reaching the final of the singles Australian Open in 1980... |
6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1973 1973 French Open List of the 1973 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Ilie Năstase def. Nikola Pilić, 6–3, 6–3, 6–0*It was Năstase's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st French Open title.-Women's singles: Margaret Court def... |
French Open (3) | Clay | Jean-Claude Barclay |
Betty Stöve Betty Stöve Betty Stöve is a former Dutch professional tennis player. She is best remembered for reaching the ladies' singles final at Wimbledon in 1977. She also won ten Grand Slam titles in women's doubles and mixed doubles.-Career:... Patrice DominguezPatrice Dominguez Patrice Dominguez is a French tennis player born in Algeria. He reached a career high ranking of 36 in 1973. He represented France in the Davis Cup between 1971 and 1979.... |
6–1, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1976 1976 Wimbledon Championships List of the 1976 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's singles: Björn Borg defeated Ilie Năstase, 6–4, 6–2, 9–7-Women's singles: Chris Evert def. Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 6–3, 4–6, 8–6-Men's doubles:... |
Wimbledon Championships The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
Grass | Tony Roche Tony Roche Anthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching... |
Rosemary Casals Rosemary Casals Rosemary "Rosie" Casals is a former American professional tennis player.Rosemary Casals earned her reputation as a rebel in the staid tennis world when she began competing in the early 1960s. During a tennis career that spanned more than two decades, she won more than 90 tournaments and worked for... Dick StocktonDick Stockton Dick Stockton is an American sportscaster. He is currently employed by Fox Sports and Turner Sports as a football, baseball, and basketball play-by-play announcer.-Early life and career:... |
6–3, 2–6, 7–5 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | A | A | A | A | QF | A | QF | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A / A | A | A | 0 / 3 |
| France | 3R | 3R | 4R | 4R | 2R | QF | QF | W | 4R | 3R | 3R | QF | SF | SF | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1 / 15 |
| Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
A | A | A | 2R | 2R | 4R | QF | 3R | QF | 2R | SF | QF | QF | 4R | 3R | 2R | 4R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 0 / 17 |
| United States | A | A | 3R | A | 3R | QF | QF | SF | 3R | 3R | QF | 3R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 4R | 1R | A | 1R | 0 / 16 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 51 |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
1959-1970
- Junior Singles Champion of France, 1959 and 1960.
- French Singles Champion in the National (closed) Championship, 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1966.
- French National Champion in Ladies Doubles 8 times between 1961 and 1970 with various partners.
- French National Champion 5 times in Mixed Doubles between 1964 and 1970 mainly partnered by Jean- Claude Barclay.
- Winner of the Wimbledon Ladies Plate in 1963.
- South African (East London) Singles champion, 1965; other singles titles in 1965 were the Dutch Open, the Turkish in Istanbul, Saint-Moritz, Swiss Open, Caracas, Colombia and Montecarlo.
- Durr defeated Judy Tegart in the final to win the 1966 British Grass Court Championship at Queens Club London; other singles titles in 1966 were the Dutch Open (defended), Swiss Open (defended) and Perth, Western Australia.
- German Open Singles champion, 1967; other singles titles in 1967 were the Pacific Southwest, Kitzbuehel, Canberra, New Zealand Open, Kingston and BåstadBåstadBåstad is a locality and the seat of Båstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 4,793 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:The town of Båstad is located in a sheltered bay with the Hallandian ridge stretching behind it...
. - Swiss Open Singles champion, 1969.
- Italian Open Doubles champion with Ann Jones, 1969.
- Losing finalist with Ann Jones in the 1969 Pacific Southwest Doubles Championship to King and Casals 6-8, 8-6, 11-9.
- Italian Open Doubles losing finalist with Virginia Wade 1970. Winners King and Casals 6-2, 3-6, 9-7.
- Losing finalist in the Swiss Open in Gstaad in 1970 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to Rosemary Casals.
- Doubles Champion with Rosemary Casals Gstaad 1970 defeated Helga Niessen and Betty Stove 6-2, 6-2.
- British Indoor singles champion at the Albert Hall, London, 1970.
1971-1979
- Winner in singles against WimbledonThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
and French Open champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6–4, 6–2) at the Canadian OpenCanada MastersThe Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
, 1971. - Durr and Casals defeated Goolagong and Bowrey 6-3, 6-3 to win the Canadian Open Doubles Championship of 1971.
- Winner against Billie Jean King 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the 1971 US Clay Courts International Tennis Championship at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- Winner against Lesley Hunt 6-3, 6-3 in the 1971 Swiss Open in Gstaad (the last of her four Swiss Open wins).
- Winner against Billie Jean King 6-3, 6-0 in the 1971 Benson and Hedges New Zealand International Grass Court Championships in Christchurch.
- Winner against Billie Jean King 6-4, 6-2 in the 1971 Clay Court International Championship at Lake Bluff, Chicago, Illinois.
- Losing finalist 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 to Billie Jean King in the 1971 Embassy British Indoor Championship at Wembley, London.
- Losing finalist 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to Rosemary Casals in the 1971 Philadelphia Indoor Championship Singles.
- Losing finalist 6-3, 7-5 to Virginia Wade in the 1972 USA Indoor Championship in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Losing finalist 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 to Rosemary Casals in the 1972 Longbeach CA Singles Championship.
- Losing finalist 6-7, 7-6, 6-0 to Rosemary Casals in the 1972 Virginia Slims Columbus Ohio Singles Championship.
- Winner against Rosemary Casals 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the 1973 Virginia Slims Championship, Houston. TX.
- Losing finalist in the 1975 Swedish Open in Stockholm to Virginia Wade 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
- Durr and Stove defeated Wade and Goolagong 6-3, 6-4 to win the 1975 Swedish Open Doubles Championship.
- Durr and Casals defeated Evert and Navratilova to win the 1976 Virginia Slims of Houston Doubles Championship.
- Durr and Casals defeated Wade and Stove 6-0, 6-4 to win the 1976 U.S. Indoor Doubles Championship held in Atlanta.
- Losing finalist against Chris Evert at Palm Springs in the Colgate Inaugural Singles Championship 1976. In the semi-final she had beaten Martina Navratilova (who was then ranked number 2 in the world) 6-1, 6-1; four months earlier at Wimbledon Durr had lost to Navratilova in the 4th Round of the singles 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 having held match points.
- Durr and Wade won the 1977 Colgate Series Championship Doubles at Palm Springs defeating Helen Gourlay-Cawley and Joanne Russell 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the final.
- Durr and Wade were runners up in the 1977 Family Circle Hiltonhead Doubles won by Casals and Evert 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
- Durr and Navratilova were runners up in the 1977 Virginia Slims of Seattle Doubles . Won by Casals and Evert 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
- Losing finalist with Virginia Wade in the 1978 Virginia Slims of Hollywood CA Doubles won by Casals and Turnbull 6-2, 6-4.
- Durr lost in the final of the 1978 World Tennis Classic in Montreal to Caroline Stoll 6-3, 6-2 .
- Durr and Stove won the 1979 Avon Masters in New York defeating Barker and Kiyomura 7-6, 7-6 .
- Durr and Stove won the 1979 Bridgestone World Doubles Championship defeating Barker and Kiyomura 7-5, 7-6.
- Durr and Stove were WTA year end Doubles Champions in 1979 .
Durr won over 60 major doubles titles in her career with various partners and featured in many more finals and semi-finals. Durr featured in many major singles finals and semi-finals in a career spanning over 20 years . She was French Number 1 for almost all that time. Durr was an integral member of France's Fed Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
team in 1963-1967, 1970, 1972, and 1977-1979. Her career win-loss record was 16-8 in singles and 15-9 in doubles.
Durr was the first woman to play 100 events on the Virginia Slims Tour (1978). Durr, Ann Jones, Billie Jean King and Rosemary Casals were the first women to sign professional contracts and organise their own tours at the start of the open era in 1968. Durr played consistently on the World Team Tennis circuit 1974-1978.
Habits and incidents
On her travels round the tennis circuit she was accompanied by her Airdale Terrier dog, named Topspin. Topspin habitually carried her racquet onto court.She was the first woman to wear halter neck backless dresses on the circuit, notably at Wimbledon. Her socks worn on U.S. tours were also unconventional, knee high tube pattern coloured socks with shorts. Durr wore coloured matching accessories with her chic stylish dresses which pushed the white rule at Wimbledon as far as it could go until in 1978 before her match with Betty Stöve she was asked to change, as her outfit featured too much colour and was deemed unacceptable. On returning to court she soon hit three winners in a row but lost the match.
Once in a match, becoming tired of seeing a relative on the sidelines gesticulating to her opponent, Durr called the opponent to the net and told her that her mother wanted her to play to her (Durr's) backhand (bad advice). Another time when there was a disputed point at the end of a game and her opponent was still on court protesting Durr went promptly and sat down totally ignoring it all and claiming the game. On occasions when things did not go as planned she would sometimes use risqué words with which to chastise herself, often in the language of the country in which she was playing.
Durr played with unorthodox grips and strokes. Her strokes would sometimes require her to virtually sit for a low backhand or kneel on one knee for a passing shot. The French Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) issued a postage stamp of her playing the kneeling pass down the line. Many of her moves and her serve were unique. The service was slow but spun and looped deep into the box: it was effective enough in keeping the opponent back, and its awkward bounce caused further difficulty.
The strongest points of Françoise Durr's game at her peak were her speed, anticipation, and placement of the ball. An excellent tactician, she possessed skilful groundstrokes and a lob considered by many experts as perhaps second only to Chris Evert in quality. She used her backhand and lob to great effect particularly on slower courts, which gave her more time to set up her shots. The lob unusually was often used early in a rally as an offensive shot to win the point, not as a defensive move to get out of trouble. She additionally had a tough mental attitude and tenacity, trained to great physical condition, developing strong legs, which with her unique grips and strokes made her play very unpredictable for opponents. Further skills of advantage were the return of serve, always strong and often dipping to the incoming server's feet, and her coverage of the court making it hard to get a ball past her.
Career and awards after retiring from the tour
In 1980 Françoise Durr served as Captain for the German Federation Cup Team.In 1993, Durr was appointed the first Technical Director of Women's Tennis for the French Tennis Federation (FFT). She was the captain of the French Fed Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
team from 1993 through 1996 and the co-captain of the team with Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah is a former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for being the last French man to win the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams...
in 1997 when they won the competition. She retired from the FFT in February 2002.
She received the WTA
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
Tour's Honorary Membership Award in 1988 for her contributions to the founding, development, and direction of women's professional tennis. In 2003, Durr was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. The hall of fame and honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis facility.-History:The hall of fame and...
. She received the Fed Cup Award of Excellence in 2005, presented jointly by the International Tennis Federation
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In April 2010 a French national honour was presented to Françoise Durr in recognition of her contribution to sport and the advancement of women in sport. She received the Medal and title of Officer of the National Order of Merit (Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
, France).
Personal life
Françoise Durr played her last official match in 1984 at Roland Garros. She had married Boyd Browning, an American tennis player in 1975 and later moved to the United States where she stayed for ten years. A daughter Jessica was born in 1985. In 1992 she returned to live near Paris. She was sometimes referred to by English writers as Frankie Durr.See also
- Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam finalTennis performance timeline comparison (women)This article presents in a tabular form the career tennis Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships and Olympic singles results of every woman who has reached the singles final of at least one Grand Slam, World Hard Court Championships or Olympic tournament during her career...