Lea Antonoplis


Lea Antonoplis is a former professional tennis player from the U.S. who won the Wimbledon Girls' Singles in 1977 and four WTA doubles titles.

Early life

Antonoplis attended Glendora High School from 1974 to 1977 and graduated from the University of Southern California. In 1974, she played an exhibition in Claremont, CA at the Roadway Inn Tennis Club with Elgin Baylor, Lawrence Mc Cutcheon, and Tracy Austin, arranged by Dale Jensen.

Tennis career

In 1974, Antonoplis played her first Grand Slam match in the US Open, losing to Sue Mappin in three sets. In the 1976 Wimbledon Championships, she lost to Natasha Chmyreva in the quarterfinals of the girls' singles. In the 1977 Wimbledon Championships, Antonoplis won the girls' singles, beating compatriot Peanut Louie-Harper in the final in straight sets.
In 1979, she won her first WTA doubles title in the Player's Canadian Open with Diane Evers, winning the final against Chris O'Neil and Mimmi Wikstedt 2–6, 6–1, 6–3. In 1983, she won two doubles titles with Barbara Jordan. In Indianapolis, they beat Rosalyn Fairbank and Candy Reynolds 5–7, 6–4, 7–5 in the final, and in Hershey they beat Sherry Acker and Ann Henricksson 6–3, 6–4. In 1986, she won her fourth and last WTA doubles title with Barbara Gerken, beating Gigi Fernández and Susan Leo 6–1, 6–2 in the final.
Antonoplis also acquired some notability at a 1976 satellite tournament in South Orange, New Jersey when she won a three-set semifinal match against Renée Richards. This was the first tournament in which Richards competed after it was revealed that she had undergone a sex-change procedure.

WTA Tour finals

Doubles 10 (3–7)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Winner1.February 14, 1983Indianapolis, Indiana, USAHard Barbara Jordan Rosalyn Fairbank
Candy Reynolds
5–7, 6–4, 7–5
Winner2.February 20, 1983Hershey, Pennsylvania, USAHard Barbara Jordan Sherry Acker
Ann Henricksson
6–3, 6–4
Runner-up3.November 13, 1983Ginny Championships, USACarpet Barbara Jordan Rosalyn Fairbank
Candy Reynolds
7–5, 5–7, 3–6
Runner-up4.August 5, 1984Newport, Rhode Island, USAGrass Beverly Mould Anna-Maria Fernandez
Peanut Louie
5–7, 6–7
Runner-up5.December 15, 1985Auckland, New ZealandGrass Adriana Villagrán Anne Hobbs
Candy Reynolds
1–6, 3–6
Winner6.October 12, 1986TaipeiCarpet Barbara Gerken Gigi Fernández
Susan Leo
6–1, 6–2
Runner-up7.August 2, 1987Aptos, California, USAHard Barbara Gerken Kathy Jordan
Robin White
1–6, 0–6
Runner-up8.November 8, 1987Little Rock, Arkansas, USAHard Barbara Gerken Mary-Lou Daniels
Robin White
2–6, 4–6
Runner-up9.April 17, 1988Tokyo Outdoor, JapanHard Barbara Gerken Gigi Fernández
Robin White
1–6, 4–6
Runner-up10.July 24, 1988Schenectady, New York, USAHard Cammy MacGregor Ann Henricksson
Julie Richardson
3–6, 6–3, 5–7