Country (sports) Australia Name Dianne Fromholtz Turned pro 1973 Career record 429–223 Weight 59 kg | Prize money US$1,145,377 Height 1.65 m Role Tennis Player Retired 1990 | |
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Full name Dianne Lee Fromholtz Balestrat Plays Left-handed (one-handed backhand) | ||
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.
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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 already actively participated in the professional tennis circuit, winning the singles title at a dozen tournaments in 1973, although the rules at the time did not permit prize money to be paid out 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 twice at the French Open, in 1979 and 1980. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open in 1976.
Fromholtz won 23 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.
She married French businessman Claude Balestrat in 1983.
On 30 August 2000, Fromholtz was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for her strong commitment to tennis.
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.