About Janet Newberry
Born 1953. Janet Newberry is an American tennis player.
Janet Newberry (born August 6, 1953) is an American former professional tennis player who was active in the 1970s. She is also known by her former married name Janet Newberry-Wright and Janet Wright. She reached the semifinals of the French Open in 1975 and 1977 and the final of the 1973 Wimbledon Championships mixed doubles.
Personal life Janet Newberry is a stepdaughter of lawyer Edward A. Turville, a former Davis Cup Captain, President of the USTA and a founder of the Florida Lawn Tennis Association in 1949 who served as its first president for five years. Janet married Frank I. Wright, a horse trainer at Belmont Park, television horse racing commentator for CBS and ESPN and World War II veteran, in 1981 and went by the name Janet Newberry-Wright. After Wright's death in 1991, she married Ralph Howe, the national grass court 60 & over singles champion, court tennis champion, Yale intercollegiate squash champion, North American singles squash champion, in 1997 and now is known as Janet Newberry-Howe.
Career In 1968, Newberry won the USLTA 16-and-under championship.
In 1974, she played for the Boston Lobsters of the World Team Tennis league. In 1975, she won the British Hardcourt Championship in Bournemouth, reached the semifinals of the French Open, and played for the United States Federation Cup team in doubles, partnering Julie Heldman.
In 1976, Newberry beat Martina Navratilova in the first round of the US Open in three sets. Navratilova said, "I still consider that loss the worst of my career, at least in the way I responded to it on and off the court." Newberry was reported as saying that she had never seen anyone so distraught, and she helped Navratilova calm down afterwards.
In 1977, Newberry won the Italian Open after defeating Renáta Tomanová in the final in straight sets, and reached the semifinals of the French Open.
In 1984, Newberry achieved her best Grand Slam women's doubles result, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon partnering Renee Blount, losing to Kathy Jordan and Anne Smith in straight sets.
Newberry's highest world ranking in singles was world No. 17. She later worked for the Women's Tennis Association.
In 2004, she opened an antique shop in St Petersburg, Florida based on her collection of tennis memorabilia.
WTA Tour finals
Singles (2 titles, 3 runners-up) Legend Grand Slam 0 WTA Championships 0 Tier I 0 Tier II 0 Tier III 0 Tier IV & V 0
Doubles 4 (3–1) Legend Grand Slam 0 WTA Championships 0 Tier I 0 Tier II 0 Tier III 0 Tier IV & V 0 Titles by surface Hard 0 Clay 0 Grass 1 Carpet 1
Mixed doubles 1 Legend Grand Slam 0 WTA Championships 0 Tier I 0 Tier II 0 Tier III 0 Tier IV & V 0 Titles by surface Hard 0 Clay 0 Grass 0 Carpet 0 Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents ScoreLoss 1. Jul 1973 Wimbledon, UK Grass Raúl RamÃrez Owen Davidson Billie Jean King 3–6, 2–6
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Important facts
People in Janet Newberry's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Janet Newberry's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Janet Newberry?
American female tennis player
When was Janet Newberry born?
Janet Newberry was born on 6 August 1953 in California.
What is Janet Newberry's occupation?
Janet Newberry is a tennis player.
What nationality is Janet Newberry?
Janet Newberry is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Janet Newberry. https://biography.guide/janet-newberry/
MLA: "Janet Newberry." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/janet-newberry/.
Chicago: "Janet Newberry." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/janet-newberry/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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