Darlene Ruth Hard (January 6, 1936 – December 2, 2021) was an American professional tennis player, known for her aggressive volleying ability and strong serves. She captured singles titles at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S. Championships in 1960 and 1961. With eight different partners, she won a total of 13 women's doubles titles and, with another three partners, she won 5 mixed doubles titles in Grand Slam tournaments, and was the finest doubles player of her generation. Her last doubles title, at the age of 33 at the 1969 US Open, came six years after she had retired from serious competition to become a tennis instructor. She also played the US Open singles tournament in 1969, losing in the second round to Françoise Dürr.

According to Lance Tingay, Hard was ranked among the top 10 in the world from 1957 through 1963, reaching a career high of No. 2 in those rankings in 1957, 1960, and 1961. The Miami Herald ranked her No. 1 for the 1961 season. In 1957, she made her first Wimbledon finals appearance, losing to Althea Gibson.

Hard was included in the year-end top-10 rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1954 through 1963. Charles Friedman wrote in The New York Times that year that "as a doubles player, she has no peer." She was the top-ranked U.S. player from 1960 through 1963. With her younger doubles partner Billie Jean King, she helped the US team to victory in the 1963 Federation Cup. Hard was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1973.

College career

Hard graduated from Pomona College in 1961. She was the first woman inducted into the college's athletic hall of fame in 1974.

Career She was part of the American Wightman Cup team that won the trophy against Great Britain in 1957, 1959, 1962 and 1963.

In 1964, Hard won the singles title at the South African Championships, defeating Ann Haydon-Jones in the final in straight sets, and soon afterwards turned professional when she became a teaching pro. She later owned two tennis stores.

According to a 2007 published report, she had been working for the University of Southern California since 1981 in the Publications Department.

Personal life In later life, Hard lived in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles. She worked at the University of Southern California in the Publications Dept. for four decades, aiding in the design and fact-checking of the University Yearbook.

Hard was openly bisexual.

Hard died at the age of 85 on December 2, 2021, from complications after a fall. She was survived by her sister, Claire. Hard's brief marriage to Richard Waggoner from 1977 to 1979 ended in divorce, and she had no children.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1957 Wimbledon Grass Althea Gibson 3–6, 2–6Loss 1958 U.S. Championships Grass Althea Gibson 6–3, 1–6, 2–6Loss 1959 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno 4–6, 3–6Win 1960 French Championships Clay Yola Ramírez 6–3, 6–4Win 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno 6–4, 10–12, 6–4Win 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Ann Haydon 6–3, 6–4Loss 1962 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Court 7–9, 4–6

Doubles: 18 (13 titles, 5 runners-up) ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1955 French Championships Clay Beverly Baker Shirley Bloomer Pat Ward 7–5, 6–8, 13–11Loss 1956 French Championships Clay Dorothy Head Angela Buxton Althea Gibson 8–6, 6–8, 1–6Win 1957 French Championships Clay Shirley Bloomer Yola Ramírez Rosie Reyes 7–5, 4–6, 7–5Win 1957 Wimbledon Grass Althea Gibson Mary Bevis Hawton Thelma Coyne Long 6–1, 6–2Loss 1957 U.S. Championships Grass Althea Gibson Louise Brough Margaret Osborne 2–6, 5–7Win 1958 U.S. Championships Grass Jeanne Arth Maria Bueno Althea Gibson 2–6, 6–3, 6–4Win 1959 Wimbledon Grass Jeanne Arth Beverly Baker Christine Truman 2–6, 6–2, 6–3Win 1959 U.S. Championships Grass Jeanne Arth Maria Bueno Sally Moore 6–2, 6–3Win 1960 French Championships Clay Maria Bueno Pat Ward Ann Haydon 6–2, 7–5Win 1960 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno Sandra Reynolds Renée Schuurman 6–4, 6–0Win 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno Ann Haydon Deidre Catt 6–1, 6–1Loss 1961 French Championships Clay Maria Bueno Sandra Reynolds Renée Schuurman defaultWin 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Lesley Turner Edda Buding Yola Ramírez 6–4, 5–7, 6–0Loss 1962 Australian Championships Grass Mary Carter Reitano Robyn Ebbern Margaret Smith 4–6, 4–6Win 1962 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno Karen Hantze Billie Jean Moffitt 4–6, 6–3, 6–2Win 1963 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno Robyn Ebbern Margaret Smith 8–6, 9–7Loss 1963 U.S. Championships Grass Maria Bueno Robyn Ebbern Margaret Smith 6–4, 8–10, 3–6Win 1969 US Open Grass Françoise Dürr Margaret Court Virginia Wade 0–6, 6–3, 6–4

Mixed doubles: 11 (5 titles, 6 runners-up) ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1955 French Championships Clay Gordon Forbes Jenny Staley Luis Ayala 5–7, 6–1, 6–2Loss 1956 French Championships Clay Bob Howe Thelma Coyne Long Luis Ayala 6–4, 4–6, 1–6Loss 1956 U.S. Championships Grass Lew Hoad Margaret Osborne Ken Rosewall 7–9, 1–6Win 1957 Wimbledon Grass Mervyn Rose Althea Gibson Neale Fraser 6–4, 7–5Loss 1957 U.S. Championships Grass Bob Howe Althea Gibson Kurt Nielsen 3–6, 7–9Win 1959 Wimbledon Grass Rod Laver Maria Bueno Neale Fraser 6–4, 6–3Win 1960 Wimbledon Grass Rod Laver Maria Bueno Bob Howe 13–11, 3–6, 8–6Win 1961 French Championships Clay Rod Laver Vera Suková Jirí Javorský 6–0, 2–6, 6–3Loss 1961 U.S. Championships Grass Dennis Ralston Margaret Smith Bob Mark defaultLoss 1962 Australian Championships Grass Roger Taylor Lesley Turner Fred Stolle 3–6, 7–9Loss 1963 Wimbledon Grass Bob Hewitt Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher 9–11, 4–6

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Tournament 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 – 1968 1969 1970 Career SR Australian ChampionshipsAAAAAAAAAQFAAAA 0 / 1 French ChampionshipsAA2R3RQFAA W4RA2RAAA 1 / 6 WimbledonAASF3R FA FQFAQFSFAAA 0 / 7 U.S. Championships/US Open2R SF3RQF SF F SF W W FQFA2R2R 2 / 13Strike rate0 / 10 / 10 / 30 / 30 / 30 / 10 / 22 / 31 / 20 / 30 / 30 / 00 / 10 / 1 3 / 27

See also Performance timelines for all female tennis players from 1884 to 1977 who reached at least one Grand Slam final

References

External links