Doris Hart (June 20, 1925 – May 29, 2015) was an American tennis player 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, doubles, and mixed doubles at all four Grand Slam events. Only she and Margaret Court achieved this during the amateur era of the sport.

Hart played collegiate tennis for the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

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) 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 10 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 10 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 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 inaugural Class of 1967 inductees to the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame and inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969.

She died on May 29, 2015, at her home in Coral Gables, Florida, at age 89.

Signed Doris Hart publicity photograph acquired in London in 1951

Grand Slam finals

Singles (6 titles, 12 runners-up)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1946U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Pauline Betz9–11, 3–6
Loss1947WimbledonGrassUnited States Margaret Osborne duPont2–6, 4–6
Loss1947French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Patricia Canning Todd3–6, 6–3, 4–6
Loss1948WimbledonGrassUnited States Louise Brough3–6, 6–8
Win1949Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton6–3, 6–4
Loss1949U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Margaret Osborne duPont3–6, 1–6
Loss1950Australian ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Louise Brough4–6, 6–3, 4–6
Win1950French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Patricia Canning Todd6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Loss1950U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Margaret Osborne duPont4–6, 3–6
Loss1951French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Shirley Fry3–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win1951WimbledonGrassUnited States Shirley Fry6–1, 6–0
Win1952French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Shirley Fry6–4, 6–4
Loss1952U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Maureen Connolly3–6, 5–7
Loss1953French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Maureen Connolly2–6, 4–6
Loss1953WimbledonGrassUnited States Maureen Connolly6–8, 5–7
Loss1953U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Maureen Connolly2–6, 4–6
Win1954U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Louise Brough6–8, 6–1, 8–6
Win1955U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited Kingdom Patricia Ward6–4, 6–2

Doubles (14 titles, 16 runners-up)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1942U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Pauline BetzUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont6–2, 5–7, 0–6
Loss1943U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Pauline BetzUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont4–6, 3–6
Loss1944U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Pauline BetzUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont6–4, 4–6, 3–6
Loss1945U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Pauline BetzUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont3–6, 3–6
Loss1946WimbledonGrassUnited States Pauline BetzUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont3–6, 6–2, 3–6
Loss1946French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Pauline BetzUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont4–6, 6–0, 1–6
Win1947WimbledonGrassUnited States Patricia Canning ToddUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont3–6, 6–4, 7–5
Loss1947French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Patricia Canning ToddUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont5–7, 2–6
Loss1947U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Patricia Canning ToddUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont7–5, 3–6, 5–7
Win1948French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Patricia Canning ToddUnited States Mary Arnold Prentiss United States Shirley Fry6–4, 6–2
Loss1948WimbledonGrassUnited States Patricia Canning ToddUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont1–6, 1–6
Loss1948U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Patricia Canning ToddUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont4–6, 10–8, 1–6
Loss1949Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Marie ToomeyAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton Australia Thelma Coyne Long0–6, 1–6
Loss1949U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont4–6, 8–10
Win1950Australian ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Louise BroughAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton Australia Thelma Coyne Long6–3, 2–6, 6–3
Win1950French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont1–6, 7–5, 6–2
Loss1950WimbledonGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont4–6, 7–5, 1–6
Loss1950U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont2–6, 3–6
Win1951French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Shirley FrySouth Africa Beryl Bartlett United States Barbara Scofield10–8, 6–3
Win1951WimbledonGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont6–2, 13–11
Win1951U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Nancy Chaffee United States Patricia Canning Todd6–4, 6–2
Win1952French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Shirley FrySouth Africa Hazel Redick-Smith South Africa Julia Wipplinger7–5, 6–1
Win1952WimbledonGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Maureen Connolly8–6, 6–3
Win1952U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Maureen Connolly10–8, 6–4
Win1953French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Maureen Connolly United States Julia Sampson6–4, 6–3
Win1953WimbledonGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Maureen Connolly United States Julia Sampson6–0, 6–0
Win1953U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont6–2, 7–9, 9–7
Loss1954WimbledonGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont6–4, 7–9, 1–6
Win1954U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont6–4, 6–4
Loss1955U.S. National ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Shirley FryUnited States Louise Brough United States Margaret Osborne duPont3–6, 6–1, 3–6

Mixed doubles: 19 (15 titles, 4 runners-up)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1945U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Bob FalkenburgUnited States Margaret Osborne duPont United States Bill Talbert4–6, 4–6
Loss1948French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Frank SedgmanUnited States Pat Canning Todd Czechoslovakia Jaroslav Drobný3–6, 6–3, 3–6
Loss1948WimbledonGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanUnited States Louise Brough Australia John Bromwich2–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win1949Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanAustralia Joyce Fitch Australia John Bromwich6–1, 5–7, 12–10
Win1950Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanAustralia Joyce Fitch South Africa Eric Sturgess8–6, 6–4
Loss1950U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanUnited States Margaret Osborne duPont Australia Ken McGregor4–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win1951French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Frank SedgmanAustralia Thelma Coyne Long Australia Mervyn Rose7–5, 6–2
Win1951WimbledonGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton Australia Mervyn Rose7–5, 6–2
Win1951U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanUnited States Shirley Fry Australia Mervyn Rose6–3, 6–2
Win1952WimbledonGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanAustralia Thelma Coyne Long Argentina Enrique Morea4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win1952French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Frank SedgmanUnited States Shirley Fry South Africa Eric Sturgess6–8, 6–3, 6–3
Win1952U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanAustralia Thelma Long Australia Lew Hoad6–3, 7–5
Win1953French ChampionshipsClayUnited States Vic SeixasUnited States Maureen Connolly Australia Mervyn Rose4–6, 6–4, 6–0
Win1953WimbledonGrassUnited States Vic SeixasUnited States Shirley Fry Argentina Enrique Morea9–7, 7–5
Win1953U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Vic SeixasUnited States Julia Sampson Australia Rex Hartwig6–2, 4–6, 6–4
Win1954WimbledonGrassUnited States Vic SeixasUnited States Margaret duPont Australia Ken Rosewall5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Win1955WimbledonGrassUnited States Vic SeixasUnited States Louise Brough Argentina Enrique Morea8–6, 2–6, 6–3
Win1954U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Vic SeixasUnited States Margaret duPont Australia Ken Rosewall4–6, 6–1, 6–1
Win1955U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Vic SeixasUnited States Shirley Fry Australia Gardnar Mulloy7–5, 5–7, 6–2

Grand Slam performance timelines

Key
WFSFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH

Singles

Tournament194019411942194319441945194611947119481949195019511952195319541955Career SRWin–loss
Australian ChampionshipsANHNHNHNHNHAAAWFAAAAA1 / 28-1
French ChampionshipsNHRRRRAQFFSFAWFWFAA2 / 728-5
Wimbledon ChampionshipsNHNHNHNHNHNHQFFFASFWQFFSFSF1 / 943-8
U.S. National Championships2R21RQFSFQFSFFSFQFFFSFFFWW2 / 1657-13
SR0 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 30 / 30 / 31 / 21 / 41 / 31 / 30 / 31 / 21 / 26 / 34
Win–loss0-00-13-13-12-13-110-314-311-39-120-315-213-214-310-19-1136-27

Doubles

Tournament19421943194419451946119471194819491950195119521953195419551956– 196719681969Career SR
Australian ChampionshipsNHNHNHNHAAAFWAAAAAAAA1 / 2
French ChampionshipsRRRAFFWAWWWWAAAAA5 / 7
Wimbledon ChampionshipsNHNHNHNHFWFAFWWWF2RA2RA4 / 10
U.S. National ChampionshipsFFFFSFFFFFWWWWFAA1R4 / 15
SR0 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 31 / 31 / 30 / 22 / 43 / 33 / 33 / 31 / 20 / 20 / 00 / 10 / 114 / 34

Mixed doubles

Tournament19421943194419451946119471194819491950195119521953195419551956–196719681969Career SR
Australian ChampionshipsNHNHNHNHAAAWWAAAAAAAA2 / 2
French ChampionshipsRRRA2RAFA3RWWWAAAAA3 / 6
Wimbledon ChampionshipsNHNHNHNH4RSFFASFWWWWWA3RA5 / 10
U.S. National Championships2R1RQFFQF1RSFQFFWWWWWAAQF5 / 15
SR0 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 30 / 20 / 31 / 21 / 43 / 33 / 33 / 32 / 22 / 20 / 00 / 10 / 115 / 33

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation. 1In 1946 and 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon. 2Hart did not play at this event. Her opponent got a walkover.

See also

External links