Shirley Fry Irvin

Known as the fastest player of her day, Shirley Fry Irvin (b.1927) was ranked in the Top 10 from 1944 to 1956, reaching No. 1 in 1956. She was the third woman to win all four Grand Slam singles events, achieving that distinction shortly after her friend, Doris Hart.

A native of Akron, Ohio, Fry excelled at tennis under her father’s guidance, becoming the youngest player at the U.S. Nationals in 1941. A 1949 graduate of Rollins College, she reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals and French finals in her junior year.

With grit and tremendous concentration, Fry was a strong competitor against the great Maureen Connolly. Fry also joined Doris Hart in an unstoppable doubles team, taking 11 major titles in the early 1950’s. Following a brief retirement, Fry was invited to compete on the 1956 Wightman Cup Team and in an amazing comeback, went on to win Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and Australian singles titles.

While in Australia, Fry met and married Karl Irvin, a U.S. advertising executive and tennis umpire, with whom she had four children. She taught and continued to play competitively for the next three decades. In 1987, Fry was honored with the USTA’s Service Bowl Award.