Long before the University of Miami became known for its powerhouse football and baseball programs, one of its greatest athletes was making history on the tennis court.
Doris Hart, a local star who rose to international prominence while still a student at UM in the 1940s, remains one of the most accomplished tennis players to ever represent the school.
A champion on the global stage
“Doris Hart was one of the greatest athletes we have ever had at the University of Miami,” said John Routh, executive director of the UM Sports Hall of Fame. “Not only was she a local star and a U.S. star, she was an international star.”
Hart’s resume speaks for itself.
According to UM’s Hall of Fame records, she won the U.S. Championships (now the U.S. Open) in 1954 and 1955, along with two French Open titles and one title each at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
In total, she claimed 29 major doubles championships and reached the pinnacle of the sport as the world’s No. 1 player in 1951. That same year, she pulled off an astonishing feat at Wimbledon, winning singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, all in the same day due to rain delays.
Overcoming adversity
Hart’s dominance on the court was made even more remarkable by the physical challenges she faced.
Jodi Appelbaum-Steinbauer, another UM tennis great, recalled how Hart battled osteomyelitis, a bone infection that nearly cost her a leg.
“She could not move so well herself, so she thought, ‘I will make them move,'” Appelbaum-Steinbauer said.
The Associated Press once reported that many assumed Hart had polio because of her bowlegged stance, yet she managed to outmaneuver opponents with her sharp tennis mind.
“She had an incredible drop shot,” Appelbaum-Steinbauer added. “People would say after the match, ‘I could not get those drop shots back.'”
Legacy and lasting impact
At just 18 or 19 years old, Hart competed at Wimbledon as a University of Miami sophomore and proved she belonged among the world’s best. In 1967, she became the first female athlete inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame.
Despite her immense success, Hart remained humble.
“She was very reserved and quiet about it,” Appelbaum-Steinbauer said. “She was not one to boast about her accolades, she did her talking with her racquet.”
Even after retiring from competition, Hart dedicated herself to coaching young players in Coral Gables and Pompano Beach, shaping the next generation of tennis talent.
Doris Hart passed away in 2015 at her home in Coral Gables, leaving behind a legacy as one of the University of Miami’s greatest athletes and one of the sport’s most inspiring figures.
