Laura duPont

Laura duPont (May 4, 1949 – February 20, 2002) was a female American tennis player. She was the first woman to win a national title in any sport for the University of North Carolina, as well as being the first female All-American at the school. She was not related to the multiple grand slam winner Margaret Osborne duPont.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, DuPont moved to North Carolina, 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 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 2002 and then North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, DuPont moved back to North Carolina in 1997. She died at Duke University Medical Center in Durham on February 20, 2002.

WTA Tour finals

Doubles 10 (5–5)

Legend Grand Slam 0 WTA Championships 0 Tier I 0 Tier II 0 Tier III 0 Tier IV & V 0

Titles by surface Hard 3 Clay 1 Grass 0 Carpet 1

Result	W/L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1.	Sep 1978	San Antonio, Texas, US	Hard	Template:Flagicon Françoise Dürr	Template:Flagicon Ilana Kloss Template:Flagicon Marise Kruger	1–6, 4–6
Loss	2.	Nov 1978	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	Template:Flagicon Regina Maršíková	Template:Flagicon Françoise Dürr Template:Flagicon Valerie Ziegenfuss	6–1, 4–6, 3–6
Loss	3.	Nov 1979	Brighton, England	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Ilana Kloss	Template:Flagicon Ann Kiyomura Template:Flagicon Anne Smith	2–6, 1–6
Win	4.	Jan 1980	Cincinnati, Ohio, US	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Pam Shriver	Template:Flagicon Mima Jaušovec Template:Flagicon Ann Kiyomura	6–3, 6–3
Loss	5.	Jan 1980	Kansas City, Missouri, US	Carpet	Template:Flagicon Pam Shriver	Template:Flagicon Billie Jean King Template:Flagicon Martina Navratilova	3–6, 1–6
Win	6.	Mar 1980	Carlsbad, California, US	Hard	Template:Flagicon Pam Shriver	Template:Flagicon Rosie Casals Template:Flagicon JoAnne Russell	6–7, 6–4, 6–1
Win	7.	Sep 1981	Atlanta, Georgia, US	Hard	Template:Flagicon Betsy Nagelsen	Template:Flagicon Rosie Casals Template:Flagicon Candy Reynolds	6–4, 7–5
Loss	8.	Oct 1982	Tokyo, Japan	Hard	Template:Flagicon Barbara Jordan	Template:Flagicon Naoko Sato Template:Flagicon Brenda Remilton	6–2, 3–6, 3–6
Win	9.	Oct 1982	Tokyo, Japan	Hard	Template:Flagicon Barbara Jordan	Template:Flagicon Naoko Sato Template:Flagicon Brenda Remilton	6–2, 6–7, 6–1
Win	10.	Nov 1982	Hong Kong	Clay	Template:Flagicon Alycia Moulton	Template:Flagicon Jennifer Mundel Template:Flagicon Yvonne Vermaak	6–2, 4–6, 7–5

External links

• Template:WTA
• Template:ITF
• 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.