Affectionately known as 'Old Fruit', Judy Tegart Dalton was 32 when she finished runner-up to Rosie Casals at the Virginia Slims Invitational in Houston, the event that launched the legend of the Original 9 in September, 1970.
A serve-volleyer in the best Australian tradition, Dalton's singles peak came with a run to the final at Wimbledon in 1968, where she dispatched Margaret Court and Nancy Richey before succumbing to Billie Jean King. That year, the rangy righthander ranked No.7 in the world and she would remain a contender until the end of her career: From Wimbledon in 1967 until her retirement after the 1977 Australian Open, at 40 years old, she reached at least the quarterfinals at 10 of the 20 majors contested.
Along with her trailblazing quest for pay equity in the sport of tennis – before the Virginia Slims Circuit made earnings more regular, she worked as an accountant when she wasn't touring for tennis – Dalton's enduring legacy was forged in doubles.
She won eight major titles from 18 finals, completing a career Grand Slam. Her trophy cabinet grew to include four Australian Open crowns (1964, 1967, 1969-70) and two US Open titles (1970-71), as well as one title from both Roland Garros (1966) and Wimbledon (1969). Five of those eight Slams were captured alongside fellow Australian Margaret Court, a partnership that yielded a perfect 4-0 record in major finals. Dalton also won the mixed doubles at the Australian Championships in 1966, with Tony Roche.
In a golden age of Australian tennis for both genders, Dalton represented her country with distinction. A member of two victorious Federation Cup squads, in 1965 and 1970, she later served as captain of the Australian team and for more than 30 years helped foster the game as president of an organization now known as the Women’s Tennis Foundation.
Balancing her career with family life, she married Dr. David Dalton in 1969 and they welcomed two children, Samantha and Edward. After her husband passed away in 2009, she moved from their farm in southwestern Victoria back to her hometown of Melbourne.
Dalton's contributions, on court and off, were formally recognized with induction into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013 and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021, as a member of the Original 9 who changed the game when they signed their $1 contracts with Gladys Heldman. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day honors in 2019.
