Janet Newberry (born August 6, 1953) is an American former professional

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player who was active in the 1970s. She is also known by her former married name Janet Newberry-Wright and Janet Wright. She reached the semifinals of the French Open in 1975 and 1977 and the final of the 1973

Wimbledon Championships The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pla ...

mixed doubles.

Personal life

Janet Newberry is a stepdaughter of lawyer Edward A. Turville, a former Davis Cup Captain, President of the USTA and a founder of the Florida Lawn Tennis Association in 1949 who served as its first president for five years. Janet married Frank I. Wright, a horse trainer at Belmont Park, television horse racing commentator for CBS and ESPN and World War II veteran, in 1981 and went by the name Janet Newberry Wright. After Wright's death in 1991, she married Ralph Howe, the national grass court 60 & over singles champion, court tennis champion, Yale intercollegiate squash champion, North American singles squash champion, in 1991 and now is known as Janet Newberry Howe.

Career

In 1968, Newberry won the USLTA 16-and-under championship. In 1974, she played for the

Boston Lobsters The Boston Lobsters were a World TeamTennis team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Lobsters played home matches at the Walter Brown Arena, Boston University, in Boston, MA. The most recent Boston Lobsters were a reincarnation of two pr ...

of the

World Team Tennis World TeamTennis (WTT) is a mixed-gender professional tennis league played with a team format in the United States, which was founded in 1973. The league's season normally takes place in the summer months. Players from the ATP and WTA take a ...

league. In 1975, she won the British Hardcourt Championship in Bournemouth, reached the semifinals of the French Open, and played for the United States Federation Cup team in doubles, partnering Julie Heldman. In 1976, Newberry beat Martina Navratilova in the first round of the US Open 1–6, 6–4, 6–3. Navratilova said, "I still consider that loss the worst of my career, at least in the way I responded to it on and off the court." Newberry was reported as saying that she had never seen anyone so distraught, and she helped Navratilova calm down afterwards. In 1977, Newberry won the Italian Open after defeating

Renáta Tomanová Renáta Tomanová (born 9 December 1954) is a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia. Career Tomanová won the girls' singles title at the 1972 French Open. In 1975, she and Martina Navratilova represented Czechoslovakia in th ...

in the final in straight sets, and reached the semifinals of the French Open. In 1984, Newberry achieved her best Grand Slam women's doubles result, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon partnering Renee Blount, losing to Kathy Jordan and Anne Smith 6–0, 6–1. Newberry's highest world ranking was World No. 17.

Later

Newberry was manager of British women's national training. She later worked for the

Women's Tennis Association The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is the principal organizing body of women's professional tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women and was founded to create a better future for women's tenn ...

. In 2004, she opened an antique shop in St Petersburg, Florida based on her collection of tennis memorabilia.

WTA Tour finals

Singles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)

Doubles 3 (2-1)

Mixed doubles 1

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Newberry, Janet 1953 births Living people American female tennis players Sportspeople from St. Petersburg, Florida Tennis players from Los Angeles Tennis people from Florida 21st-century American women