Dianne Fromholtz

Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat (née Fromholtz; born 10 August 1956) is an Australian former professional tennis player who reached a highest singles ranking of world No. 4 in 1979.

File:Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat inducted into Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.jpg

In 2019, Fromholtz was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame, commemorated by a bronze bust.

Career

Fromholtz began playing tennis at the age of seven. She left school at the age of 16 to play in international tournaments. She turned pro in 1973 and joined the WTA Tour.

At the age of 17, she participated in the professional tennis circuit, winning the singles title at a dozen tournaments in 1973, but the rules at the time did not permit prize money to be paid to participants under 18 years of age.

She reached the finals of the Australian Open in January 1977, losing to fellow Australian Kerry Melville Reid in two sets. She was a semifinalist at the French Open in 1979 and 1980. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open in 1976.

File:Dianne Fromholtz 1985.jpg

Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat in Wimbledon Mixed Doubles with Tom Okker in the background, 1985

Fromholtz won eight WTA Tour singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in 1979. Partnering with Helen Gourlay Cawley, she won the Australian Open women's doubles in January 1977. She had career wins over Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade, Pam Shriver, and Gabriela Sabatini. She holds an 8–7 career record over King.

Fromholtz met French businessman Claude Balestrat at a New Year's Eve party in 1981, and the couple wed in Dural on 26 December 1982.

On 30 August 2000, Fromholtz was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for her commitment to tennis.

In 2019, Fromholtz was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame, commemorated by a bronze bust located in Garden Square, within Melbourne Park.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: (1 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1977(J)	Australian Open	Grass	Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville Reid	5–7, 2–6

Doubles: (1 title)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1977(J)	Australian Open	Grass	Template:Flagicon Helen Gourlay	Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville Reid Template:Flagicon Betsy Nagelsen	5–7, 6–1, 7–5

Mixed doubles: (1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1980	Wimbledon	Grass	Template:Flagicon Mark Edmondson	Template:Flagicon Tracy Austin Template:Flagicon John Austin	6–4, 6–7(6–8), 3–6

WTA career finals

Singles: 24 (8–16)

Winner – Legend Grand Slam tournaments (0–1) WTA Tour Championships (0–0) Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (8–15)

Titles by surface Hard (0–4) Grass (4–5) Clay (3–1) Carpet (1–6)

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1.	May 1973	Guildford	Clay	Template:Flagicon Kazuko Sawamatsu	7–5, 4–6, 6–3
Win	2.	Jun 1973	Chichester	Grass	Template:Flagicon Brigitte Cuypers	6–1, 6–0
Win	3.	Jun 1973	Beckenham	Grass	Template:Flagicon Janet Newberry	7–5, 0–6, 6–1
Loss	1.	Jul 1973	Newport	Grass	Template:Flagicon Julie Heldman	6–1, 1–6, 9–11
Loss	2.	Nov 1973	Adelaide	Grass	Template:Flagicon Janet Young	5–7, 1–6
Win	4.	Nov 1973	Sydney	Clay	Template:Flagicon Ann Kiyomura	6–1, 7–5
Loss	3.	Aug 1974	South Orange	Grass	Template:Flagicon Pam Teeguarden	5–7, 3–6
Loss	4.	Nov 1974	Johannesburg	Hard	Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville	3–6, 5–7
Loss	5.	Aug 1975	Indianapolis	Clay	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	3–6, 4–6
Loss	6.	Octr 1976	Phoenix	Hard	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	1–6, 5–7
Win	5.	Nov 1976	Sydney	Clay	Template:Flagicon Leanne Harrison	6–1, 6–0
Loss	7.	Dec 1976	Sydney	Grass	Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville Reid	6–3, 2–6, 3–6
Loss	8.	Jan 1977	Australian Open	Grass	Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville Reid	5–7, 2–6
Loss	9.	Oct 1977	Atlanta	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	3–6, 2–6
Loss	10.	Feb 1978	Detroit	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Martina Navratilova	3–6, 2–6
Win	6.	Dec 1978	Sydney	Grass	Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville Reid	6–1, 1–6, 6–4
Win	7.	Dec 1978	Sydney	Grass	Template:Flagicon Wendy Turnbull	6–2, 7–5
Loss	11.	Jan 1979	Hollywood	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Greer Stevens	4–6, 6–2, 4–6
Win	8.	Mar 1979	Boston	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Sue Barker	6–2, 7–6(7–4)
Loss	12.	Mar 1979	Carlsbad	Hard	Template:Flagicon Chris Evert	6–3, 3–6, 1–6
Loss	13.	Oct 1979	Minneapolis	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Evonne Goolagong	3–6, 4–6
Loss	14.	Sep 1980	Minneapolis	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Tracy Austin	1–6, 6–2, 2–6
Loss	15.	May 1985	Sydney	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Pam Shriver	3–6, 4–6
Loss	16.	Mar 1987	Phoenix	Hard	Template:Flagicon Anne White	1–6, 2–6

Doubles: 12 (5-1–6)

Winner – Legend Grand Slam tournaments (1–0) WTA Tour Championships (0–0) Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (4–1-6)

Titles by surface Hard (2–2) Grass (1-1–3) Clay (2–1) Carpet (0–0)

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Draw	1.	9 July 1973	Newport	Grass	Template:Flagicon Julie Heldman	Template:Flagicon Patti Hogan Template:Flagicon Sharon Walsh	1–5 Shared – final rained out
Loss	1.	17 December 1973	Hobart	Grass	Template:Flagicon Jackie Fayter	Template:Flagicon Helen Gourlay Template:Flagicon Karen Krantzcke	2–6, 1–6
Win	1.	8 April 1974	Phoenix, Arizona	Hard	Template:Flagicon Janet Young	Template:Flagicon Ann Kiyomura Template:Flagicon Betsy Nagelsen	w/o
Loss	2.	18 November 1974	Johannesburg	Hard	Template:Flagicon Margaret Court	Template:Flagicon Ilana Kloss Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville	3–6, 5–7
Win	2.	19 May 1975	Hamburg	Clay	Template:Flagicon Renáta Tomanová	Template:Flagicon Paulina Peisachov Template:Flagicon Kazuko Sawamatsu	6–3, 6–2
Win	3.	8 March 1976	Tallahassee, Florida	Hard	Template:Flagicon Julie Anthony	Template:Flagicon Virginia Ruzici Template:Flagicon Mariana Simionescu	6–2, 7–5
Loss	3.	26 December 1976	Sydney	Grass	Template:Flagicon Renáta Tomanová	Template:Flagicon Helen Gourlay Template:Flagicon Betsy Nagelsen	4–6, 1–6
Win	4.	3 January 1977	Australian Open	Grass	Template:Flagicon Helen Gourlay	Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville Reid Template:Flagicon Betsy Nagelsen	5–7, 6–1, 7–5
Loss	4.	23 September 1977	Hilton Head	Clay	Template:Flagicon Virginia Wade	Template:Flagicon Evonne Goolagong Template:Flagicon Kerry Melville Reid	2–6, 6–3, 4–6
Win	5.	14 May 1979	Vienna	Clay	Template:Flagicon Marise Kruger	Template:Flagicon Ilana Kloss Template:Flagicon Betty Ann Stuart	3–6, 6–4, 6–1
Loss	5.	26 November 1979	Melbourne	Grass	Template:Flagicon Anne Smith	Template:Flagicon Billie Jean King Template:Flagicon Wendy Turnbull	3–6, 3–6
Loss	6.	28 February 1983	Palm Springs	Hard	Template:Flagicon Betty Stöve	Template:Flagicon Kathy Jordan Template:Flagicon Ann Kiyomura	2–6, 2–6

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	Career SR
Australian Open (Jan)	1R	A	QF	2R	3R	A	F	Held in December								NH	3R	1R	1R	1R	0 / 13
French Open	A	A	A	3R	3R	A	A	A	SF	SF	3R	A	A	A	1R	A	2R	A	A	A	0 / 7
Wimbledon	A	A	1R	1R	1R	4R	A	4R	QF	4R	3R	A	1R	A	2R	4R	QF	2R	1R	A	0 / 14
US Open	A	A	A	3R	2R	SF	4R	3R	4R	4R	1R	2R	1R	A	1R	A	1R	2R	A	A	0 / 13
Australian Open (Dec)	Held in January						A	A	A	A	1R	2R	A	2R	3R	NH	Held in January
SR	0 / 1	0 / 0	0 / 2	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 2	0 / 2	0 / 2	0 / 3	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 2	0 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 4	0 / 1	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 47
Year-end ranking					20	5	8	10	6	12	38	32	75	99	30	25	21	56	112	NR

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

See also

• Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final

External links

• Template:WTA
• Template:ITF profile
• Template:Fed Cup player
• Template:Tennis Australia