# Darlene Hard

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 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 died at the age of 85 on December 2, 2021, from complications after a fall.
Hard was openly bisexual.

## Grand Slam finals
### Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 1957 | Wimbledon | Grass | Althea Gibson | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1958 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Althea Gibson | 6–3, 1–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1959 | Wimbledon | Grass | Maria Bueno | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 1960 | French Championships | Clay | Yola Ramírez | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 1960 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Maria Bueno | 6–4, 10–12, 6–4 |
| Win | 1961 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Ann Haydon | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1962 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Margaret Court | 7–9, 4–6 |

### Doubles: 18 (13 titles, 5 runners-up)

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

### Mixed doubles: 11 (5 titles, 6 runners-up)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Win | 1955 | French Championships | Clay | Gordon Forbes | Jenny Staley Luis Ayala | 5–7, 6–1, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1956 | French Championships | Clay | Bob Howe | Thelma Coyne Long Luis Ayala | 6–4, 4–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1956 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Lew Hoad | Margaret Osborne Ken Rosewall | 7–9, 1–6 |
| Win | 1957 | Wimbledon | Grass | Mervyn Rose | Althea Gibson Neale Fraser | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1957 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Bob Howe | Althea Gibson Kurt Nielsen | 3–6, 7–9 |
| Win | 1959 | Wimbledon | Grass | Rod Laver | Maria Bueno Neale Fraser | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 1960 | Wimbledon | Grass | Rod Laver | Maria Bueno Bob Howe | 13–11, 3–6, 8–6 |
| Win | 1961 | French Championships | Clay | Rod Laver | Vera Suková Jirí Javorský | 6–0, 2–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1961 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Dennis Ralston | Margaret Smith Bob Mark | default |
| Loss | 1962 | Australian Championships | Grass | Roger Taylor | Lesley Turner Fred Stolle | 3–6, 7–9 |
| Loss | 1963 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Margaret Smith Ken Fletcher | 9–11, 4–6 |

## Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key :
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 – 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | Career SR |
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 |
| French Championships | A | A | 2R | 3R | QF | A | A | W | 4R | A | 2R | A | A | A | 1 / 6 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | SF | 3R | F | A | F | QF | A | QF | SF | A | A | A | 0 / 7 |
| U.S. Championships/US Open | 2R | SF | 3R | QF | SF | F | SF | W | W | F | QF | A | 2R | 2R | 2 / 13 |
| Strike rate | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 2 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 3 / 27 |