| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | (1949-05-04)May 4, 1949 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | February 20, 2002(2002-02-20) (aged 52) Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[1] |
| Plays | Right-handed[1] |
| Prize money | US$ 211,614 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 79–122 |
| Highest ranking | No. 23 (1977)[2] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | 3R (1977) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1972, 1979) |
| US Open | QF (1971) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 117–119 |
| Career titles | 5 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1975) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1973, 1976) |
| US Open | QF (1976) |
Laura duPont (May 4, 1949 – February 20, 2002) was a female Americantennis player. She was the first woman to win a national title in any sport for theUniversity of North Carolina,[3] as well as being the first femaleAll-American[4] at the school. She was not related to the multiple grand slam winnerMargaret Osborne duPont.
Born inLouisville, Kentucky, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, DuPont moved toNorth Carolina, where she showed promise competing in junior tennis championships.
DuPont attended the University of North Carolina where three times she was named Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Champion. DuPont 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, duPont was named North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year.[3] In 1972, duPont 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.
DuPont's success continued, becoming the South African doubles champion in 1976, a doubles finalist in 1975 and singles finalist in 1976. She won theU.S. Clay Court Championships singles title in 1977, as well as was a doubles finalist in 1976. In 1984, duPont won the U.S. Open 35 and over singles championship.
From 1975 to 1981, she was on theWomen's Tennis Association board, serving in the roles of vice president and treasurer.[5]
Laura duPont was inducted into theNorth Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977, theCharlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000, theWomen's collegiate tennis Hall of fame in 2002[6] and then North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
After being diagnosed withbreast cancer, DuPont moved back to North Carolina in 1997. She died atDuke University Medical Center inDurham on February 20, 2002.[7]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1. | Sep 1978 | San Antonio, Texas, US | Hard |  Françoise Dürr |  Ilana KlossMarise Kruger | 1–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 2. | Nov 1978 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay |  Regina Maršíková | Françoise Dürr Valerie Ziegenfuss | 6–1, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 3. | Nov 1979 | Brighton, England | Carpet | Ilana Kloss | Ann KiyomuraAnne Smith | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 4. | Jan 1980 | Cincinnati, Ohio, US | Carpet | Pam Shriver |  Mima JaušovecAnn Kiyomura | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 5. | Jan 1980 | Kansas City, Missouri, US | Carpet | Pam Shriver | Billie Jean KingMartina Navratilova | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 6. | Mar 1980 | Carlsbad, California, US | Hard | Pam Shriver | Rosie CasalsJoAnne Russell | 6–7, 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 7. | Sep 1981 | Atlanta, Georgia, US | Hard | Betsy Nagelsen | Rosie CasalsCandy Reynolds | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Loss | 8. | Oct 1982 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Barbara Jordan |  Naoko Sato Brenda Remilton | 6–2, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 9. | Oct 1982 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Barbara Jordan | Naoko SatoBrenda Remilton | 6–2, 6–7, 6–1 |
| Win | 10. | Nov 1982 | Hong Kong | Clay | Alycia Moulton | Jennifer MundelYvonne Vermaak | 6–2, 4–6, 7–5 |
