| Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat | |
| Country: | Australia |
| Residence: | Melbourne, Australia |
| Birth Date: | 1956 8, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Albury, Australia |
| Turnedpro: | 1973 |
| Retired: | 1990 |
| Plays: | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Careerprizemoney: | US$1,145,377 |
| Singlestitles: | 8 |
| Highestsinglesranking: | No. 4 (19 March 1979) |
| Australianopenresult: | F (1977Jan) |
| Frenchopenresult: | SF (1979, 1980) |
| Wimbledonresult: | QF (1979, 1987) |
| Usopenresult: | SF (1976) |
| Doublesrecord: | 134–141 |
| Doublestitles: | 6 |
| Highestdoublesranking: | No. 56 (14 September 1987) |
| Australianopendoublesresult: | W (1977) |
| Frenchopendoublesresult: | SF (1979) |
| Wimbledondoublesresult: | QF (1979) |
| Usopendoublesresult: | QF (1979) |
| Australianopenmixedresult: | QF (1987, 1988) |
| Frenchopenmixedresult: | SF (1975) |
| Wimbledonmixedresult: | F (1980) |
| Usopenmixedresult: | 2R (1983) |
| Team: | yes |
| Fedcupresult: | W (1974) |
Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat (née Fromholtz; born 10 August 1956) is an Australian former professional tennis player who reached a highest singles ranking of world No. 4 in 1979.
Fromholtz began playing tennis at the age of seven. She left school at the age of 16 to play in international tournaments. She turned pro in 1973 and joined the WTA Tour.
At the age of 17, she participated in the professional tennis circuit, winning the singles title at a dozen tournaments in 1973, but the rules at the time did not permit prize money to be paid to participants under 18 years of age.[1]
She reached the finals of the Australian Open in January 1977, losing to fellow Australian Kerry Melville Reid in two sets. She was a semifinalist at the French Open in 1979 and 1980. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open in 1976.
Fromholtz won eight WTA Tour singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in 1979. Partnering with Helen Gourlay Cawley, she won the Australian Open women's doubles in January 1977. She had career wins over Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade, Pam Shriver, and Gabriela Sabatini. She holds an 8–7 career record over King.
Fromholtz met French businessman Claude Balestrat at a New Year's Eve party in 1981, and the couple wed in Dural on 26 December 1982.[2]
On 30 August 2000, Fromholtz was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for her commitment to tennis.[3]
In 2019, Fromholtz was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame, commemorated by a bronze bust located in Garden Square, within Melbourne Park.[4]
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| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1. | May 1973 | Guildford | Clay |  Kazuko Sawamatsu | 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 | |
| Win | 2. | Jun 1973 | Chichester | Grass | Brigitte Cuypers | 6–1, 6–0 | |
| Win | 3. | Jun 1973 | Beckenham | Grass |  Janet Newberry | 7–5, 0–6, 6–1 | |
| Loss | 1. | Jul 1973 | Newport | Grass | Julie Heldman | 6–1, 1–6, 9–11 | |
| Loss | 2. | Nov 1973 | Adelaide | Grass |  Janet Young | 5–7, 1–6 | |
| Win | 4. | Nov 1973 | Sydney | Clay | Ann Kiyomura | 6–1, 7–5 | |
| Loss | 3. | Aug 1974 | South Orange | Grass | Pam Teeguarden | 5–7, 3–6 | |
| Loss | 4. | Nov 1974 | Johannesburg | Hard | Kerry Melville | 3–6, 5–7 | |
| Loss | 5. | Aug 1975 | Indianapolis | Clay | Chris Evert | 3–6, 4–6 | |
| Loss | 6. | Octr 1976 | Phoenix | Hard | Chris Evert | 1–6, 5–7 | |
| Win | 5. | Nov 1976 | Sydney | Clay | Leanne Harrison | 6–1, 6–0 | |
| Loss | 7. | Dec 1976 | Sydney | Grass | Kerry Melville Reid | 6–3, 2–6, 3–6 | |
| Loss | 8. | Jan 1977 | Australian Open | Grass | Kerry Melville Reid | 5–7, 2–6 | |
| Loss | 9. | Oct 1977 | Atlanta | Carpet | Chris Evert | 3–6, 2–6 | |
| Loss | 10. | Feb 1978 | Detroit | Carpet | Martina Navratilova | 3–6, 2–6 | |
| Win | 6. | Dec 1978 | Sydney | Grass | Kerry Melville Reid | 6–1, 1–6, 6–4 | |
| Win | 7. | Dec 1978 | Sydney | Grass | Wendy Turnbull | 6–2, 7–5 | |
| Loss | 11. | Jan 1979 | Hollywood | Carpet | Greer Stevens | 4–6, 6–2, 4–6 | |
| Win | 8. | Mar 1979 | Boston | Carpet |  Sue Barker | 6–2, 7–6(7–4) | |
| Loss | 12. | Mar 1979 | Carlsbad | Hard | Chris Evert | 6–3, 3–6, 1–6 | |
| Loss | 13. | Oct 1979 | Minneapolis | Carpet | Evonne Goolagong | 3–6, 4–6 | |
| Loss | 14. | Sep 1980 | Minneapolis | Carpet | Tracy Austin | 1–6, 6–2, 2–6 | |
| Loss | 15. | May 1985 | Sydney | Carpet | Pam Shriver | 3–6, 4–6 | |
| Loss | 16. | Mar 1987 | Phoenix | Hard | Anne White | 1–6, 2–6 |
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| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | 1. | 9 July 1973 | Newport | Grass | Julie Heldman | Patti Hogan Sharon Walsh | 1–5 Shared – final rained out | |
| Loss | 1. | 17 December 1973 | Hobart | Grass | Jackie Fayter | Helen Gourlay Karen Krantzcke | 2–6, 1–6 | |
| Win | 1. | 8 April 1974 | Phoenix, Arizona | Hard | Janet Young | Ann Kiyomura Betsy Nagelsen | w/o | |
| Loss | 2. | 18 November 1974 | Johannesburg | Hard | Margaret Court | Ilana Kloss Kerry Melville | 3–6, 5–7 | |
| Win | 2. | 19 May 1975 | Hamburg | Clay | Renáta Tomanová |  Paulina Peisachov Kazuko Sawamatsu | 6–3, 6–2 | |
| Win | 3. | 8 March 1976 | Tallahassee, Florida | Hard | Julie Anthony | Virginia Ruzici Mariana Simionescu | 6–2, 7–5 | |
| Loss | 3. | 26 December 1976 | Sydney | Grass | Renáta Tomanová | Helen Gourlay Betsy Nagelsen | 4–6, 1–6 | |
| Win | 4. | 3 January 1977 | Australian Open | Grass | Helen Gourlay | Kerry Melville Reid Betsy Nagelsen | 5–7, 6–1, 7–5 | |
| Loss | 4. | 23 September 1977 | Hilton Head | Clay | Virginia Wade | Evonne Goolagong Kerry Melville Reid | 2–6, 6–3, 4–6 | |
| Win | 5. | 14 May 1979 | Vienna | Clay | Marise Kruger | Ilana Kloss Betty Ann Stuart | 3–6, 6–4, 6–1 | |
| Loss | 5. | 26 November 1979 | Melbourne | Grass | Anne Smith | Billie Jean King Wendy Turnbull | 3–6, 3–6 | |
| Loss | 6. | 28 February 1983 | Palm Springs | Hard | Betty Stöve | Kathy Jordan Ann Kiyomura | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Tournament | Career SR | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open (Jan) | 1R | A | QF | 2R | 3R | A | F | Held in December | NH | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 0 / 13 | ||||||||
| French Open | A | A | A | 3R | 3R | A | A | A | SF | SF | 3R | A | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | |
| Wimbledon | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 4R | A | 4R | QF | 4R | 3R | A | 1R | A | 2R | 4R | QF | 2R | 1R | A | 0 / 14 | |
| US Open | A | A | A | 3R | 2R | SF | 4R | 3R | 4R | 4R | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | A | 1R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 13 | |
| Australian Open (Dec) | Held in January | A | A | A | A | 1R | 2R | A | 2R | 3R | NH | Held in January | ||||||||||
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 47 | |
| Year-end ranking | 20 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 38 | 32 | 75 | 99 | 30 | 25 | 21 | 56 | 112 | NR | ||||||
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.