Laura Du Pont

Laura DuPont (May 4, 1949 – February 20, 2002) was a champion singles tennis player. Along with winning many tournaments, Laura DuPont is also 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. During her pro career, she was ranked as high as ninth in the world.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Laura became acquainted with tennis by practicing on the city's public courts. In her adolescent years, Laura moved to North Carolina, where she showed promise competing in junior tennis championships.

Laura attended the University of North Carolina where she was thrice named Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Champion. Laura 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, Laura was named North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year. In 1972, Laura 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 and by 1977 she was ranked 10th worldwide in women's singles tennis.

Laura's success continued, becoming the South African doubles champion in 1976, and a doubles and singles finalist in 1975. She won the U.S. clay courts singles in 1977, as well as being a doubles finalist in 1976. In 1984, Laura won the U.S. Open 35 and over singles championship.

Between the years of 1975 and 1981 Laura was on the Women's Tennis Association, also serving as its treasurer.

Laura Dupont was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Charlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2000.

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