NAPLES, Fla. (July 16, 2021) - The Rollins athletic department was saddened to learn of the passing of former tennis star Shirley Fry Irvin, 94, who passed away in hospice care on Tuesday.
Miss Irvin had a phenomenal tennis career that eventually led to her induction in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She is one of only ten women in professional tennis history to complete the career grand slam, with a victory at each of the four major championships. She is also only one of six women to win a doubles championship at each venue as well, according to the ITHOF. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970 following a nearly two-decade career.
After attending Rollins in the late 1940s, she won her first major championship, the French Open, at world-renowned Roland-Garros, defeating #1 ranked Doris Hart in straight sets. When her career finally came to an end, Miss Irvin had amassed 17 total major championships, including 11 doubles titles alongside the aforementioned Hart. Her first Wimbledon title was especially impressive as she won both the women's singles title and the mixed doubles title (with partner Vic Seixas) on the same day. She was ranked the #1 women's tennis player in the world at the end of the year.
Originally from Akron, Ohio, Shirley June Fry was born on June 30, 1927. She is survived by her four children and twelve grandchildren.
