# U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships

The U.S. Open Clay Courts, known formally as the U.S. Clay Court Championships, was a national tennis championship for women that was sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association. The first edition was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1912, two years after the first men's championships, and was won by May Sutton. The final edition was held in 1986 and won by Steffi Graf. The tournament was not held in 1913, 1924–1939 and 1942. The doubles event was first held in 1914.
Nancy Richey and Chris Evert won more singles titles (6) at this tournament than any other woman. Linda Tuero holds the record for runners-up in singles (3).

## Locations

* 1912: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* 1913: Not held
* 1914: Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Tennis Club)
* 1915: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh Athletic Association)
* 1916: Cleveland, Ohio (Lakewood Tennis Club)
* 1917: Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Tennis Club)
* 1918–19: Chicago, Illinois (South Side Tennis Club)
* 1920: Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Tennis Club)
* 1921–23: Buffalo, New York (Park Club)
* 1924–39: Not held
* 1940–41: River Forest, Illinois (River Forest Tennis Club)
* 1942: Not held
* 1943–44: Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Tennis Club)
* 1947: Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake Tennis Club)
* 1948–54: River Forest, Illinois (River Forest Tennis Club)
* 1955: Atlanta, Georgia (Bryan M. Grant, Jr. Tennis Center)
* 1956–65: River Forest, Illinois (River Forest Tennis Club)
* 1966–68: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Town Club)
* 1969–86: Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis Racquet Club)

## Finals
### Singles

| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| 1912 | May Sutton | Mary Browne | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1913 | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 1914 | Mary Browne | Louise Riddell Williams | 6–1, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1915 | Molla Bjurstedt | Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman | 3–6, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1916 | Molla Bjurstedt | Martha Guthrie | 8–6, 6–3 |
| 1917 | Ruth Sanders | W. E. Ellis | 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1918 | Carrie Neely | Adelaide Yager | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1919 | Corinne Gould | Carrie Neely | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1920 | Marion Zinderstein | Corinne Gould | 6–0, 6–1 |
| 1921 | Ann Sheafe Cole | Anna Godfrey | 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1922 | Lois Moyes Bickle | Leslie Bancroft | 3–6, 6–1, 7–5 |
| 1923 | Mayme McDonald | Lilian Scharman | 7–5, 1–6, 6–4 |
| 1924 – 1939 | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 1940 | Alice Marble | Gracyn Wheeler | 7–5, 6–0 |
| 1941 | Pauline Betz | Mary Arnold | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1942 | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 1943 | Pauline Betz | Nancy Corbett | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1944 | Dorothy Bundy | Mary Arnold | 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1945 | Sarah Palfrey Cooke | Pauline Betz | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 1946 | Barbara Krase | Virginia Kovacs | 10–8, 6–4 |
| 1947 | Mary Arnold Prentiss | Dorothy Head | 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1948 | Magda Rurac | Dorothy Head | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 1949 | Magda Rurac | Beverly Baker | 2–6, 9–7, 6–3 |
| 1950 | Doris Hart | Shirley Fry | 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1951 | Dorothy Head | Patricia Canning Todd | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1952 | Anita Kanter | Lucille Davidson | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1953 | Maureen Connolly | Althea Gibson | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1954 | Maureen Connolly | Doris Hart | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1955 | Dorothy Head Knode | Barbara Breit | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1956 | Shirley Fry | Althea Gibson | 7–5, 6–1 |
| 1957 | Althea Gibson | Darlene Hard | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1958 | Dorothy Head Knode | Karol Fageros | 6–3, 6–8, 6–2 |
| 1959 | Sally Moore | Sandra Reynolds | 6–2, 2–6, 6–3 |
| 1960 | Dorothy Head Knode | Gwyneth Thomas | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1961 | Edda Buding | Karen Hantze | 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 |
| 1962 | Donna Floyd | Carole Caldwell | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1963 | Nancy Richey | Victoria Palmer | 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1964 | Nancy Richey | Carole Caldwell Graebner | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1965 | Nancy Richey | Julie Heldman | 5–7, 6–3, 9–7 |
| 1966 | Nancy Richey | Stephanie DeFina | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1967 | Nancy Richey | Rosemary Casals | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1968 | Nancy Richey | Linda Tuero | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1969 | Gail Sherriff Chanfreau | Linda Tuero | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1970 | Linda Tuero | Gail Sherriff Chanfreau | 7–5, 6–1 |
| 1971 | Billie Jean King | Linda Tuero | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 1972 | Chris Evert | Evonne Goolagong | 7–6$^{(5–2)}$, 6–1 |
| 1973 | Chris Evert | Veronica Burton | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1974 | Chris Evert | Gail Sherriff Chanfreau | 6–0, 6–0 |
| 1975 | Chris Evert | Dianne Fromholtz | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1976 | Kathy May | Brigitte Cuypers | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |
| 1977 | Laura DuPont | Nancy Richey | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1978 | Dana Gilbert | Viviana González | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1979 | Chris Evert | Evonne Goolagong Cawley | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1980 | Chris Evert | Andrea Jaeger | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1981 | Andrea Jaeger | Virginia Ruzici | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1982 | Virginia Ruzici | Helena Suková | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 1983 | Andrea Temesvári | Zina Garrison | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1984 | Manuela Maleeva | Lisa Bonder | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1985 | Andrea Temesvári | Zina Garrison | 7–6, 6–3 |
| 1986 | Steffi Graf | Gabriela Sabatini | 2–6, 7–6, 6–4 |

### Doubles

| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| 1944 | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | | |
| 1945 | Pauline Betz Doris Hart | | |
| 1946 | Shirley Fry Mary Arnold Prentiss | Virginia Kovacs Barbara Scofield | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1947 | Gussie Moran Mary Arnold Prentiss | Shirley Fry Barbara Krase | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1948 | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 1949 | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 1950 | Shirley Fry Doris Hart | Beverly Baker Magda Rurac | 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1951 | Magda Rurac Patricia Canning Todd | Dorothy Head Anita Kanter | |
| 1952 | Lucille Davidson Doris Popple | Anita Kanter Joan Merciadas | 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1953 | Anita Kanter Thelma Coyne Long | Maureen Connolly Julia Sampson | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 1954 | Maureen Connolly Doris Hart | Althea Gibson Ethel Norton | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1955 | Dorothy Head Knode Janet Hopps | Pat Shaffer Barbara Breit | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 1956 | Shirley Fry Dorothy Head Knode | Martha Hernández Yola Ramírez | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1957 | Althea Gibson Darlene Hard | Karol Fageros Jeanne Arth | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 1958 | Karol Fageros Dorothy Head Knode | | |
| 1959 | Sandra Reynolds Renée Schuurman | Jeanne Arth Janet Hopps | |
| 1960 | Darlene Hard Billie Jean Moffitt | Justina Bricka Carol Hanks | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1961 | Justina Bricka Carol Hanks | | |
| 1962 | Darlene Hard Susan Behlmar | | |
| 1963 | Maria Bueno Darlene Hard | | |
| 1964 | Carole Graebner Nancy Richey | | |
| 1965 | Carole Graebner Nancy Richey | | |
| 1966 | Karen Krantzcke Kerry Melville | Esmé Emmanuel Maryna Godwin | 1–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1967 | Karen Krantzcke Kerry Melville | | |
| 1968 | Nancy Richey Valerie Ziegenfuss | | |
| 1969 | Lesley Turner Bowrey Gail Sherriff Chanfreau | Emilie Burrer Linda Tuero | 6–0, 10–8 |
| 1970 | Rosemary Casals Gail Sherriff Chanfreau | Helen Gourlay Patricia Walkden | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1971 | Judy Tegart Dalton Billie Jean King | Julie Heldman Linda Tuero | 6–1, 6–2 |
| 1972 | Evonne Goolagong Lesley Hunt | Margaret Smith Court Pam Teeguarden | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1973 | Patti Hogan Sharon Walsh | Fiorella Bonicelli María-Isabel Fernández | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1974 | Gail Sherriff Chanfreau Julie Heldman | Chris Evert Jeanne Evert | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1975 | Fiorella Bonicelli María-Isabel Fernández | Gail Sherriff Chanfreau Julie Heldman | 3–6, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1976 | Linky Boshoff Ilana Kloss | Laura DuPont Wendy Turnbull | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1977 | Linky Boshoff Ilana Kloss | Mary Carillo Wendy Overton | 5–7, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1978 | Helena Anliot Helle Sparre-Viragh | Barbara Hallquist Sheila McInerney | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1979 | Kathy Jordan Anne Smith | Penny Johnson Paula Smith | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1980 | Anne Smith Paula Smith | Virginia Ruzici Renáta Tomanová | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1981 | JoAnne Russell Virginia Ruzici | Sue Barker Paula Smith | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1982 | Ivanna Madruga Catherine Tanvier | JoAnne Russell Virginia Ruzici | 7–5, 7–6 |
| 1983 | Kathleen Horvath Virginia Ruzici | Gigi Fernández Beth Herr | 4–6, 7–6, 6–2 |
| 1984 | Beverly Mould Paula Smith | Elise Burgin JoAnne Russell | 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1985 | Katerina Maleeva Manuela Maleeva | Penny Barg Paula Smith | 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1986 | Steffi Graf Gabriela Sabatini | Gigi Fernández Robin White | 6–2, 6–0 |