Doris Hart was a tennis player from the United States 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 to complete the career "Boxed Set" of Grand Slam titles, which is winning at least one title in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at all four Grand Slam events. Only Margaret Smith Court and she achieved this during the amateur era of the sport.
Tennis career
Hart reached 67 Grand Slam finals and won 35 titles, tying with Louise Brough for sixth on the all-time list, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, and Margaret Osborne duPont ). 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 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, 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. 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 finally 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 ten from 1946 through 1955, reaching a career high of World No. 1 in those rankings in 1951. Hart was included in the year-end top ten 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. Doris was inducted into the inaugural Class of 1967 inductees to the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. http://www.umsportshalloffame.com/doris-hart.html She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969. She died on May 29, 2015, at her home in Coral Gables, Florida, aged 89.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (6 titles, 12 runner-ups)
Doubles (14 titles, 16 runner-ups)
Mixed doubles: 19 (15 titles, 4 runner-ups)
Grand Slam performance timelines
Singles
Doubles
Mixed doubles
R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.
