Laura DuPont
Encyclopedia
Laura DuPont was a champion singles tennis player. Along with winning many tournaments, Laura DuPont is also the first woman to win a national title in any sport for the University of North Carolina
, as well as being the first female All-American at the school.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky
, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, Laura moved to North Carolina
, where she showed promise competing in junior tennis championships.
Laura attended the University of North Carolina
where she was thrice named Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Champion. Laura 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, Laura was named North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year. In 1972, Laura 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 and by 1977 she was ranked 10th worldwide in women's singles tennis.
Laura'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 courts singles in 1977, as well as being a doubles finalist in 1976. In 1984, Laura won the U.S. Open 35 and over singles championship.
Between the years of 1975 and 1981 Laura was on the Women's Tennis Association
, also serving as its treasurer.
Laura Dupont was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Charlotte
Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer
, Laura moved back to North Carolina in 1997. She died in February 2002.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, as well as being the first female All-American at the school.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, Laura moved to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where she showed promise competing in junior tennis championships.
Laura attended the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
where she was thrice named Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Champion. Laura 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, Laura was named North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year. In 1972, Laura 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 and by 1977 she was ranked 10th worldwide in women's singles tennis.
Laura'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 courts singles in 1977, as well as being a doubles finalist in 1976. In 1984, Laura won the U.S. Open 35 and over singles championship.
Between the years of 1975 and 1981 Laura was on 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...
, also serving as its treasurer.
Laura Dupont was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, Laura moved back to North Carolina in 1997. She died in February 2002.
Doubles 10 (5-5)
| Legend | |
| Grand Slam | 0 |
| WTA Championships | 0 |
| Tier I | 0 |
| Tier II | 0 |
| Tier III | 0 |
| Tier IV & V | 0 |
| Olympic Games | 0 |
| Titles by Surface | |
| Hard | 3 |
| Clay | 1 |
| Grass | 0 |
| Carpet | 1 |
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | 17 September 1978 | San Antonio, Texas, USA | Hard |  Françoise DurrFrançoise Durr Françoise Durr is a retired tennis player from France. She won 26 major singles titles and over 60 doubles titles.... |
 Ilana KlossIlana Kloss Ilana Sheryl Kloss is a former professional tennis player and the commissioner of World Team Tennis.-Tennis career:Kloss was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before turning professional, in 1972 she won the Wimbledon juniors singles title. In 1974 she won U.S... Marise Kruger |
1-6, 4-6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 5 November 1978 | Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... , Argentina |
Clay |  Regina MaršikováRegina Maršíková Regina Maršíková is a former Czechoslovakian tennis player.Maršíková's single titles were at Rome, Toronto and Christchurch in 1978, Phoenix in 1980 and Berlin in 1981... |
Françoise Durr Françoise Durr Françoise Durr is a retired tennis player from France. She won 26 major singles titles and over 60 doubles titles....  Valerie ZiegenfussValerie Ziegenfuss Valerie Bradshaw is an American former female professional tennis player. She started off as an amateur player at the beginning of the 1970s before turning professional.... |
6-1, 4-6, 3-6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 25 November 1979 | Brighton Brighton Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain... , England |
Carpet | Ilana Kloss Ilana Kloss Ilana Sheryl Kloss is a former professional tennis player and the commissioner of World Team Tennis.-Tennis career:Kloss was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before turning professional, in 1972 she won the Wimbledon juniors singles title. In 1974 she won U.S... |
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... Anne SmithAnne Smith Anne Smith is a female former professional tennis player from the United States. Smith's highest women's doubles ranking was World No. 1 in 1980 and 1981. Her highest singles ranking was World No. 12 in 1982... |
2-6, 1-6 |
| Winner | 4. | 13 January 1980 | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Carpet | Pam Shriver Pam Shriver Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and is currently a sports broadcaster from the United States for ESPN2. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and one mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments... |
 Mima JaušovecMima Jaušovec Mima Jaušovec is a Slovenian female former tennis player. She was born on July 20, 1956, in Maribor, PR Slovenia, FPR Yugoslavia). In singles she reached a career high of No. 6 in 1982, in doubles she reached a career high of No. 211 in 1986.... Ann KiyomuraAnn 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... |
6-3, 6-3 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 20 January 1980 | Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... , Missouri, USA |
Carpet | Pam Shriver Pam Shriver Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and is currently a sports broadcaster from the United States for ESPN2. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and one mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments... |
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... Martina Navrátilová |
3-6, 1-6 |
| Winner | 6. | 28 March 1980 | Carlsbad Carlsbad, California -2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other... , California, USA |
Hard | Pam Shriver Pam Shriver Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and is currently a sports broadcaster from the United States for ESPN2. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and one mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments... |
Rosie Casals JoAnne Russell JoAnne Russell JoAnne Russell is a former American professional tennis player. With partner Helen Gourlay Cawley, Russell won the Wimbledon Ladies' Doubles title in 1977. They beat the team of Chris Evert and Rosie Casals in the first round and the top-ranked team of Martina Navratilova and Betty Stöve in the... |
6-7, 6-4, 6-1 |
| Winner | 7. | 27 September 1981 | Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Hard | Betsy Nagelsen Betsy Nagelsen Betsy Nagelsen McCormack is a retired professional tennis player from the United States. Nagelsen won the doubles championship at the 1978 and 1980 Australian Opens . She reached the singles final of the 1978 Australian Open, losing to Christine O'Neil... |
Rosie Casals Candy Reynolds Candy Reynolds Candy Reynolds is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Career:During her career, Reynolds won the women's doubles title at the French Open in 1983... |
6-4, 7-5 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 18 October 1982 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan |
Hard | Barbara Jordan Barbara Jordan Barbara Charline Jordan was an American politician who was both a product and a leader, of the Civil Rights movement. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives... |
 Naoko Sato  Brenda Remilton |
6-2, 3-6, 3-6 |
| Winner | 9. | 24 October 1982 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan |
Hard | Barbara Jordan Barbara Jordan Barbara Charline Jordan was an American politician who was both a product and a leader, of the Civil Rights movement. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives... |
Naoko Sato Brenda Remilton |
6-2, 6-7, 6-1 |
| Winner | 10. | 24 October 1982 | Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
Clay | Alycia Moulton Alycia Moulton Alycia Moulton is a former professional tennis player.Moulton was active on the WTA tour from 1978 to 1988. Her powerful game brought her two singles title in 1983 and five doubles titles. She twice defeated Helena Suková in an overall 76-99 career singles record... |
Jennifer Mundel Yvonne Vermaak Yvonne Vermaak Yvonne Vermaak is a former tour tennis player who represented her native South Africa.Vermaak's best result was defeating Virginia Wade in the quarter-finals of the 1983 Wimbledon Championships.Late in her playing career, Vermaak became an American citizen.... |
6-2, 4-6, 7-5 |
External links
- 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 HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
.