El Paso, TX (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 tennis star Margaret
Osborne duPont had died at the age of 94.
One of America's great early tennis champions, duPont, who passed away in
El Paso, Texas, enjoyed a lengthy career from the early 1940s through the
early 1960s. She won an incredible 37 titles at Grand Slam tournaments in
singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, which places her fourth on the all-time
list, despite the fact that she never entered the Australian Championships.
Complementing her extraordinary success on court, duPont was always held in
high regard by peers and fans for her exemplary sportsmanship and character.
She was inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967.
DuPont was an inspiration for many players, including fellow Hall-of-Famer
Billie Jean King, who said, "Margaret duPont was a giant in tennis and had a
huge impact on my career. She was one of my heroes and was a great influence
on my life both on and off the court. I hope today's players and any boy or
girl who dreams of a career in tennis will go to the history books and read
about Margaret because her career wasn't just about winning matches, it was
also about mentoring others."
Last year, Hall-of-Famer Tony Trabert was asked about duPont's legacy in the
sport and he said, "I watched Margaret play many times, and she was really
just an outstanding player and in particular, a fantastic doubles player, as
is clear to see by her record. I always found her to be a genuinely nice
person and to have great sportsmanship. She has been a terrific representative
of our sport."
DuPont was the year-end No. 1 in 1947, 1948, 1949, and 1950. She was first
ranked in the United States' Top 10 in 1938, and she remained in the Top 5 for
20 years. She was ranked in the U.S. Top 10 14 times over those 20 years, and
in the world Top 10 nine times.
DuPont's Grand Slam tournament success included six singles titles, 21 doubles
titles, and 10 mixed doubles titles. Her incredible total of 37 Grand Slam
tournament wins is surpassed only by fellow Hall-of-Famers Margaret Smith
Court, Martina Navratilova, and Billie Jean King. DuPont teamed with Louise
Brough Clapp, also a Hall-of-Famer, to win 20 of her major women's doubles
titles, which ties Navratilova and Pam Shriver for the most Grand Slam titles
ever won by a women's doubles team.
The Oregon native won 25 of her major titles at the U.S. Championships, which
is an all-time record. In 2010, she was inducted to the U.S. Open Court of
Champions.
The Sports Network