Shirley Fry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shirley Fry

Fry in the Netherlands in 1953
Full name	Shirley June Fry Irvin
Country (sports)	United States
Born	(1927-06-30)June 30, 1927 Akron, Ohio, United States
Died	July 13, 2021(2021-07-13) (aged 94) Naples, Florida, United States
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Retired	1957
Plays	Right–handed
Int. Tennis HoF	1970 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1956)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1957)
French Open	W (1951)
Wimbledon	W (1956)
US Open	W (1956)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (1957)
French Open	W (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953)
Wimbledon	W (1951, 1952, 1953)
US Open	W (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	F (1952)
Wimbledon	W (1956)
US Open	F (1951, 1955)
Team competitions
Wightman Cup	W (1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956)

Shirley June Fry Irvin (born June 30, 1927 – died July 13, 2021) was an American tennis star. She played tennis from the early 1940s to the mid-1950s. Shirley won the singles title at all four major tennis tournaments, known as Grand Slams. She also won 13 doubles titles. In 1956, she was ranked the number one tennis player in the world.

Early Life and Education

Shirley Fry was born in Akron, Ohio, on June 30, 1927. She started playing tennis in competitions when she was nine years old. Shirley went to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She graduated from college in 1949.

Tennis Career Highlights

Shirley Fry is one of only 10 women in history to win a Grand Slam singles title at every major tournament. These tournaments are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. She is also one of only seven women to win all four Grand Slam doubles tournaments.

Early Achievements

At just 15 years old, Shirley reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. National Championship in 1942. This was a big achievement for such a young player.

Dominance in Doubles

Shirley Fry and her partner, Doris Hart, were a very strong team. At Wimbledon in 1953, they barely lost any games. They won three matches without losing a single game. This included their semifinal and final matches.

Winning Grand Slam Singles Titles

Shirley won the last three Grand Slam singles tournaments she played in.

• In 1956, she won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championship. She beat Althea Gibson in the Wimbledon quarterfinal and the U.S. Championship final.
• In 1957, she won the Australian Championships final, also against Althea Gibson.

World Rankings and Retirement

Shirley Fry was ranked among the world's top 10 players for many years. She was ranked in 1946, 1948, and from 1950 to 1955. In 1956, she reached the top spot, becoming the world's No. 1 player.

She briefly retired in early 1956 and worked for a newspaper. However, she returned to play after being invited to the Wightman Cup. She retired for good in 1957. In 1970, Shirley Fry was honored by being added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Wightman Cup Participation

From 1951 to 1956, Shirley played in the Wightman Cup. This was a team competition for women between Great Britain and the United States. She helped the U.S. team win every year except 1954. She had a great record, winning 10 matches and losing only 2.

Later Life and Legacy

Shirley Fry married Karl Irvin in Australia in February 1957. After getting married, she stopped playing professional tennis. They were married until Karl passed away in 1976. They had four children together: Mark, Scott, Lori, and Karen.

In her later years, Shirley lived in Naples, Florida. She passed away there on July 13, 2021, at 94 years old. Before her death, she was the oldest living female Grand Slam and Wimbledon singles champion.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Results

Sources:

Singles Performance

Doubles Performance

R = tournament restricted to French nationals and held under German occupation.
¹In 1946 and 1947, the French Championships were held after Wimbledon.

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Source:

Singles Finals: 8 (4 Wins, 4 Losses)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1948	French Championships	Clay	Nelly Adamson Landry	2–6, 6–0, 0–6
Win	1951	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Loss	1951	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	1–6, 0–6
Loss	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	Maureen Connolly	3–6, 6–1, 4–6
Loss	1952	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	4–6, 4–6
Win	1956	Wimbledon	Grass	Angela Buxton	6–3, 6–1
Win	1956	U.S. Championships	Grass	Althea Gibson	6–3, 6–4
Win	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	Althea Gibson	6–3, 6–4

Doubles Finals: 19 (12 Wins, 7 Losses)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1948	French Championships	Clay	Mary Arnold	Doris Hart Patricia Canning Todd	4–6, 2–6
Loss	1949	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 8–10
Win	1950	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	1–6, 7–5, 6–2
Loss	1950	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	4–6, 7–5, 1–6
Loss	1950	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	2–6, 3–6
Win	1951	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Beryl Bartlett Barbara Scofield	10–8, 6–3
Win	1951	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–2, 13–11
Win	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Nancy Chaffee Patricia Canning Todd	6–4, 6–2
Win	1952	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Hazel Redick-Smith Julia Wipplinger	7–5, 6–1
Win	1952	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Maureen Connolly	8–6, 6–3
Win	1952	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Maureen Connolly	10–8, 6–4
Win	1953	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Maureen Connolly Julia Sampson	6–4, 6–3
Win	1953	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Maureen Connolly Julia Sampson	6–0, 6–0
Win	1953	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–2, 7–9, 9–7
Loss	1954	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–4, 7–9, 1–6
Win	1954	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	6–4, 6–4
Loss	1955	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 6–1, 3–6
Loss	1956	U.S. Championships	Grass	Betty Rosenquest	Louise Brough Margaret Osborne duPont	3–6, 0–6
Win	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	Althea Gibson	Mary Bevis Hawton Fay Muller	6–2, 6–1

Mixed Doubles Finals: 5 (1 Win, 4 Losses)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	Mervyn Rose	Doris Hart Frank Sedgman	3–6, 2–6
Loss	1952	French Championships	Clay	Eric Sturgess	Doris Hart Frank Sedgman	8–6, 3–6, 3–6
Loss	1953	Wimbledon	Grass	Enrique Morea	Doris Hart Vic Seixas	7–9, 5–7
Loss	1955	U.S. Championships	Grass	Gardnar Mulloy	Doris Hart Vic Seixas	5–7, 7–5, 2–6
Win	1956	Wimbledon	Grass	Vic Seixas	Gardnar Mulloy Althea Gibson	2–6, 6–2, 7–5

See also

In Spanish: Shirley Fry para niños