Barbara Potter
Barbara Potter is a former tennis player from the United States, who competed professionally on the WTA Tour between 1978 and 1989, winning six singles titles and 19 doubles titles. Her highest singles ranking was No. 7 in December 1982.
Career
Potter started playing tennis when she was eight years old. After graduating from Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut in 1978 Potter elected to turn professional instead of accepting an offer of admission at Princeton. A left-hander, she reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open in 1981 as well as the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 1984, and Wimbledon in 1982, 1983 and 1985. At the WTA Tour Championships, she reached the semifinals in singles in 1984 and was a runner-up in doubles with Sharon Walsh in 1981.Potter reached a career high ranking of No. 7 in 1982 and that year won the singles titles at the Avon Championships of Cincinnati and the US Indoor Championships. She also played in three Grand Slam doubles finals, the 1982 US Open women's doubles with Sharon Walsh as well as the 1982 and 1983 US Open mixed doubles with Ferdi Taygan.
In 1986, Potter suffered two herniated disks in her back at a tournament in England and was forced off the tour several times. After a grueling exercise and fitness program, she successfully returned to the tour.
She was a member of the 1982 and 1984 U.S. Wightman Cup teams and the 1988 United States Fed Cup team. In 1989, she re-aggravated a persistent back condition at the beginning season when she was involved in an automobile accident. She retired in November 1989 due to deteriorating hip cartilage.
Potter currently resides in Harlem, Georgia.
Major finals
Grand Slam finals
Women's doubles (1 runner–up)
Mixed doubles (2 runners-up)
Year-End Championships finals
Doubles: (1 runner–up)
WTA career finals
Singles: 14 (6–8)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Winner | 1. | January 29, 1979 | Toronto | Carpet |  Bettina Bunge | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 1. | January 14, 1980 | Las Vegas | Hard |  Andrea Jaeger | 6–7, 6–4, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | February 23, 1981 | Seattle | Carpet | Sylvia Hanika | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 2. | January 11, 1982 | Cincinnati | Carpet | Bettina Bunge | 6–2, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | February 8, 1982 | Kansas City | Carpet | Martina Navratilova | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | September 13, 1982 | :fr:Open de Tokyo|Tokyo | Carpet | Bettina Bunge | 6–7, 2–6 |
| Winner | 3. | September 27, 1982 | Philadelphia | Carpet | Pam Shriver | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 5. | February 6, 1984 | Chicago | Carpet | Pam Shriver | 6–7, 6–2, 3–6 |
| Winner | 4. | August 19, 1985 | Monticello | Hard |  Helen Kelesi | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 5. | February 2, 1987 | Wichita | Carpet |  Larisa Savchenko | 7–6, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 6. | March 23, 1987 | Washington | Carpet |  Hana Mandlíková | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 7. | July 11, 1988 | Newport | Grass | Lori McNeil | 4–6, 6–4, 3–6 |
| Winner | 6. | August 1, 1988 | Cincinnati | Hard | Helen Kelesi | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 8. | February 20, 1989 | Wichita | Hard | Amy Frazier | 6–4, 4–6, 0–6 |
Doubles: 41 (19–22)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | August 21, 1978 | Mahwah | Hard |  Pam Whytcross |  Ilana Kloss :fr:Marise Kruger|Marise Kruger | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | January 14, 1980 | Las Vegas | Hard | Kay McDaniel | :fr:Diane Desfor|Diane Desfor Barbara Jordan | 4–5, 7–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 2. | September 22, 1980 | :fr:Classic d'Atlanta|Atlanta | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Kathy Jordan Anne Smith | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Winner | 3. | December 15, 1980 | :fr:Tournoi de Tucson|Tucson | Carpet | Leslie Allen | Mary-Lou Piatek Wendy White | 7–6, 6–0 |
| Winner | 4. | January 12, 1981 | Kansas City | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull | 6–2, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | January 26, 1981 | Chicago | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Martina Navrátilová Pam Shriver | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 5. | March 16, 1981 | Boston | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | JoAnne Russell  Virginia Ruzici | 6–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 3. | March 25, 1981 | Avon Championships | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Martina Navrátilová Pam Shriver | 0–6, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 4. | May 4, 1981 | Tokyo | Carpet | Sharon Walsh |  Sue Barker Ann Kiyomura | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Winner | 6. | October 19, 1981 | Brighton | Carpet | Anne Smith |  Mima Jaušovec Pam Shriver | 6–7, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 5. | October 26, 1981 | Filderstadt | Carpet | Anne Smith | Mima Jaušovec Martina Navrátilová | 4–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 7. | November 16, 1981 | Perth | Grass | Sharon Walsh | Betsy Nagelsen Candy Reynolds | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 8. | February 8, 1982 | Kansas City | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Mary-Lou Piatek Anne Smith | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 9. | February 22, 1982 | Oakland | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Kathy Jordan Pam Shriver | 6–1, 3–6, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 6. | March 1, 1982 | Los Angeles | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Kathy Jordan Anne Smith | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 7. | April 19, 1982 | Amelia Island | Clay | Sharon Walsh | Leslie Allen Mima Jaušovec | 1–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 8. | August 16, 1982 | Montreal | Hard | Sharon Walsh | Martina Navratilova Candy Reynolds | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 10. | August 23, 1982 | Mahwah | Hard | Sharon Walsh | Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 9. | August 30, 1982 | US Open | Hard | Sharon Walsh | Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 10. | September 27, 1982 | Philadelphia | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull | 6–3, 6–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 11. | October 4, 1982 | Deerfield Beach | Hard | Sharon Walsh | Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull | 7–6, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 11. | October 25, 1982 | Brighton | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver | 6–2, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 12. | January 10, 1983 | Houston | Carpet | Jo Durie | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 12. | January 30, 1983 | Palm Beach Garden | Clay | Sharon Walsh | Kathy Jordan Paula Smith | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |
| Winner | 13. | July 11, 1983 | Newport | Grass | Sharon Walsh | Barbara Jordan Elizabeth Sayers | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 13. | September 19, 1983 | :fr:Tournoi de Richmond|Richmond | Carpet | Kathy Jordan | Rosalyn Fairbank Candy Reynolds | 7–6, 2–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 14. | September 26, 1983 | Hartford | Carpet | Kathy Jordan | Billie Jean King Sharon Walsh | 6–3, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 14. | October 2, 1983 | Detroit | Carpet | Kathy Jordan | Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Winner | 15. | January 2, 1984 | Washington | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Leslie Allen Anne White | 6–1, 6–7, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 15. | January 30, 1984 | Houston | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Mima Jaušovec Anne White | 4–6, 6–3, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 16. | February 6, 1984 | Chicago | Carpet | Pam Shriver | Billie Jean King Sharon Walsh | 7–5, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 16. | March 26, 1984 | Boston | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Andrea Leand Mary-Lou Piatek | 7–6, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 17. | September 17, 1984 | Fort Lauderdale | Hard | Sharon Walsh | Martina Navratilova Elizabeth Sayers | 6–2, 2–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 18. | October 22, 1984 | Brighton | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Alycia Moulton Paula Smith | 7–6, 3–6, 5–7 |
| Winner | 17. | March 11, 1985 | Dallas | Carpet | Sharon Walsh |  Marcella Mesker  Pascale Paradis | 5–7, 6–4, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 19. | May 6, 1985 | :fr:Australian Indoors|Sydney | Carpet | Sharon Walsh | Pam Shriver Elizabeth Smylie | 5–7, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 20. | October 21, 1985 | Brighton | Carpet | Helena Suková | Lori McNeil Catherine Suire | 6–4, 6–7, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 21. | January 27, 1986 | Key Biscayne | Hard | Betsy Nagelsen | Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie | 6–7, 6–2, 2–6 |
| Winner | 18. | March 28, 1986 | Nashville | Carpet | Pam Shriver | Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 22. | February 2, 1987 | Wichita | Carpet | Wendy White | Svetlana Parkhomenko Larisa Savchenko | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 19. | July 11, 1988 | Newport | Grass | Rosalyn Fairbank | Gigi Fernández Lori McNeil | 6–4, 6–3 |