Laura duPont (May 4, 1949 – February 20, 2002) was a female American

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

player. She was the first woman to win a national title in any sport for the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

,ITA - 2002 Inductee Laura duPont
as well as being the first female

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

at the school. She was not related to the multiple grand slam winner

Margaret Osborne duPont Margaret Osborne duPont (born Margaret Evelyn Osborne; March 4, 1918 – October 24, 2012) was a world No. 1 American female tennis player. DuPont won a total of 37 singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles major titles, which places her ...

. Born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, DuPont moved to

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, where she showed promise competing in junior tennis championships. DuPont attended the University of North Carolina where three times she was named Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Champion. DuPont was singles champion in the years 1968, 1970, and 1971. In 1970, she also secured doubles champion. Aside from her tennis accolades at the school, she also played varsity basketball. In 1970, duPont was named North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year. In 1972, duPont graduated with a B.A. and joined the tennis inter-national circuit soon after. She won the Canadian (1979), Argentine, New Zealand (singles as well as doubles) and German singles. DuPont's success continued, becoming the South African doubles champion in 1976, a doubles finalist in 1975 and singles finalist in 1976. She won the U.S. Clay Court Championships singles title in 1977, as well as was a doubles finalist in 1976. In 1984, duPont won the U.S. Open 35 and over singles championship. From 1975 to 1981, she was on the

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

board, serving in the roles of vice president and treasurer. Laura duPont was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977, the Charlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000, the Women's collegiate tennis Hall of fame in 2002Inductees
at the ITA Hall of fame and then North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. After being diagnosed with

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

, DuPont moved back to North Carolina in 1997. She died at

Duke University Medical Center Duke University Hospital is a 1062 -bed acute care facility and an academic tertiary care facility located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1930, it is the flagship teaching hospital for the Duke University Health Sy ...

in Durham on February 20, 2002.

WTA Tour finals

Doubles 10 (5–5)

References

External links

* *
Inventory of the Office of the Women's Tennis Coach of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1976–1999
in the University Archives, UNC-Chapel Hill. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dupont, Laura American female tennis players North Carolina Tar Heels women's tennis players Charlotte Catholic High School alumni Tennis players from Louisville, Kentucky Tennis players from North Carolina 1949 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American sportswomen