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 pro1965
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
Gold medal – first place1963 São PauloDoubles
Bronze medal – third place1963 São PauloSingles

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.

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, 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 graduated from Pomona College in 1961,[7] and became the first woman inducted into the college's athletic hall of fame in 1974.[8]

She was part of the American Wightman Cup team that won the trophy against Great Britain in 1957, 1959, 1962 and 1963.[9][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.[9] She later owned two tennis stores.[10]

Hard was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1973.[11]

According to a 2007 published report, she had been working for the University of Southern California since 1981 in the Publications Dept.[10]

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 died at the age of 85 on December 2, 2021, from complications after a fall.[1][11][12]

Grand Slam finals

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

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1957WimbledonGrassUnited States Althea Gibson3–6, 2–6
Loss1958U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Althea Gibson6–3, 1–6, 2–6
Loss1959WimbledonGrassBrazil Maria Bueno4–6, 3–6
Win1960French ChampionshipsClayMexico Yola Ramírez6–3, 6–4
Win1960U.S. ChampionshipsGrassBrazil Maria Bueno6–4, 10–12, 6–4
Win1961U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited Kingdom Ann Haydon6–3, 6–4
Loss1962U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Margaret Court7–9, 4–6

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

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1955French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Beverly BakerUnited Kingdom Shirley Bloomer
United Kingdom Pat Ward
7–5, 6–8, 13–11
Loss1956French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Dorothy HeadUnited Kingdom Angela Buxton
United States Althea Gibson
8–6, 6–8, 1–6
Win1957French ChampionshipsClayUnited Kingdom Shirley BloomerMexico Yola Ramírez
Mexico Rosie Reyes
7–5, 4–6, 7–5
Win1957WimbledonGrassUnited States Althea GibsonAustralia Mary Bevis Hawton
Australia Thelma Coyne Long
6–1, 6–2
Loss1957U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Althea GibsonUnited States Louise Brough
United States Margaret Osborne
2–6, 5–7
Win1958U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Jeanne ArthBrazil Maria Bueno
United States Althea Gibson
2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win1959WimbledonGrassUnited States Jeanne ArthUnited States Beverly Baker
United Kingdom Christine Truman
2–6, 6–2, 6–3
Win1959U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Jeanne ArthBrazil Maria Bueno
United States Sally Moore
6–2, 6–3
Win1960French ChampionshipsClayBrazil Maria BuenoUnited Kingdom Pat Ward
United Kingdom Ann Haydon
6–2, 7–5
Win1960WimbledonGrassBrazil Maria BuenoSouth Africa Sandra Reynolds
South Africa Renée Schuurman
6–4, 6–0
Win1960U.S. ChampionshipsGrassBrazil Maria BuenoUnited Kingdom Ann Haydon
United Kingdom Deidre Catt
6–1, 6–1
Loss1961French ChampionshipsClayBrazil Maria BuenoSouth Africa Sandra Reynolds
South Africa Renée Schuurman
default
Win1961U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Lesley TurnerWest Germany Edda Buding
Mexico Yola Ramírez
6–4, 5–7, 6–0
Loss1962Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Mary Carter ReitanoAustralia Robyn Ebbern
Australia Margaret Smith
4–6, 4–6
Win1962U.S. ChampionshipsGrassBrazil Maria BuenoUnited States Karen Hantze
United States Billie Jean Moffit
4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Win1963WimbledonGrassBrazil Maria BuenoAustralia Robyn Ebbern
Australia Margaret Smith
8–6, 9–7
Loss1963U.S. ChampionshipsGrassBrazil Maria BuenoAustralia Robyn Ebbern
Australia Margaret Smith
6–4, 8–10, 3–6
Win1969US OpenGrassFrance Françoise DürrAustralia Margaret Court
United Kingdom Virginia Wade
0–6, 6–3, 6–4

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

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1955French ChampionshipsClaySouth Africa Gordon ForbesAustralia Jenny Staley
Chile Luis Ayala
5–7, 6–1, 6–2
Loss1956French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Bob HoweAustralia Thelma Coyne Long
Chile Luis Ayala
6–4, 4–6, 1–6
Loss1956U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Lew HoadUnited States Margaret Osborne
Australia Ken Rosewall
7–9, 1–6
Win1957WimbledonGrassAustralia Mervyn RoseUnited States Althea Gibson
Australia Neale Fraser
6–4, 7–5
Loss1957U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Bob HoweUnited States Althea Gibson
Denmark Kurt Nielsen
3–6, 7–9
Win1959WimbledonGrassAustralia Rod LaverBrazil Maria Bueno
Australia Neale Fraser
6–4, 6–3
Win1960WimbledonGrassAustralia Rod LaverBrazil Maria Bueno
Australia Bob Howe
13–11, 3–6, 8–6
Win1961French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Rod LaverCzechoslovakia Vera Suková
Czechoslovakia Jirí Javorský
6–0, 2–6, 6–3
Loss1961U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Dennis Ralston Australia Margaret Smith
Australia Bob Mark
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Loss1962Australian ChampionshipsGrassUnited Kingdom Roger TaylorAustralia Lesley Turner
Australia Fred Stolle
3–6, 7–9
Loss1963WimbledonGrassAustralia Bob HewittAustralia Margaret Smith
Australia 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.
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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Smith, Harrison (2021-12-08). "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. 1961-12-28.
  4. 1 2 "International Tennis Hall of Fame". www.tennisfame.com. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  5. Friedman, Charles (1963-12-30). "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. "1960". Pomona College Timeline. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  8. "Darlene R. Hard". ITA Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Darlene Hard…Tribute To A Little Known Great Player". WLM Tennis. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Hard is fine far from Centre Court". Los Angeles Times. July 3, 2007.
  11. 1 2 "Three-time tennis major winner Hard dies at 85". ESPN. 2021-12-04. Archived from the original on 2021-12-04. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  12. Harris, Beth (2021-12-04). "Darlene Hard, 3-time major tennis champion, dies at 85". WDIV-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
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