{{Short description|American tennis player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox tennis biography |name = Kathy May |image = |caption = |fullname = Kathy May Fritz |itf_name = |country = {{USA}} |residence = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|6|18}} |birth_place = Beverly Hills, California, USA |death_date = |death_place = |height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}<ref name="usta">{{cite book|editor1-last=Bostic|editor1-first=Stephanie|title=USTA Player Records 1978|date=1979|publisher=United States Tennis Association (USTA)|page=220}}</ref> |college = |turnedpro = |retired = |plays = Right-handed<ref name="usta"/> |careerprizemoney = |tennishofyear = |tennishofid = |website = |singlesrecord = 56–50 |singlestitles = 7 |highestsinglesranking = No. 10 (July 3, 1977) |AustralianOpenresult = |FrenchOpenresult = QF (1977, 1978) |Wimbledonresult = 4R (1977) |USOpenresult = QF (1978) |Othertournaments = |MastersCupresult = |WTAChampionshipsresult = |Olympicsresult = |doublesrecord = 36–49 |doublestitles = 4 |highestdoublesranking = |AustralianOpenDoublesresult = |FrenchOpenDoublesresult = 2R (1977) |WimbledonDoublesresult = 3R (1974) |USOpenDoublesresult = QF (1978, 1979) |OthertournamentsDoubles = |MastersCupDoublesresult = |WTAChampionshipsDoublesresult = |OlympicsDoublesresult = |Mixed = |mixedrecord = |mixedtitles = |AustralianOpenMixedresult = |FrenchOpenMixedresult = |WimbledonMixedresult = |USOpenMixedresult = |OthertournamentsMixedDoubles = |OlympicMixedDoublesresult = }}
'''Kathy May Fritz''' (born June 18, 1956) is an American former professional tennis player.<ref name=1978colgate>{{cite book|title=1978 Colgate Series Media Guide|year=1978|publisher=H.O. Zimman Inc.|location=New York|author=Jim Bainbridge|page=88}}</ref> She reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals, once at the US Open in 1978 and twice at the French Open in 1977 and 1978. She won seven WTA singles titles during her career, and achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 10 in 1977.
She also competed under the names '''Kathy May Teacher''' after her marriage in 1979 to tennis player Brian Teacher, and ''' Kathy May-Paben'''. Her son Taylor Fritz is also a professional tennis player, and he has reached the top 5 on the ATP Tour. She is also the Aunt of American real executive and civic official Brian Rosenstein.
==Early and personal life== May was born and grew up in Beverly Hills, California.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/08/the-making-of-americas-next-great-tennis-talent.html The Making of America's Next Great Tennis Talent<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> She is the great-granddaughter of David May, founder of The May Department Stores Company<ref name=autogenerated1 /> (now Macy's).
In 1979, she married fellow Californian player Brian Teacher, also a top 10 tennis player and the 1980 Australian Open champion; they subsequently divorced.<ref>[http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/11283 "The Australian Open Champion Who Almost Wasn't - Book Excerpt From 'The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time,'"<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904015444/http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/11283 |date=September 4, 2017 }} ''World Tennis Magazine''.</ref> She married fireman Donn Paben in 1981 with whom she had two sons, and subsequently divorced.<ref>[https://www.familytreenow.com/records/marriage/may/katherine Katherine May - Free Marriage & Vital Records<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=FyAdAQAAMAAJ&q=%22kathy+may%22+%22don+paben%22 World Tennis<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> She later married Guy Fritz (brother of Harry Fritz), her third husband, and had her third son Taylor Fritz but she and Guy have since divorced.<ref>[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/dad-at-19-a-young-tennis-star-turning-heads-raising-eyebrows/articleshow/57767450.cms "Dad at 19: A young tennis star turning heads, raising eyebrows,"<!-- Bot generated title -->] ''The Economic Times''.</ref><ref>[http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2015-10-20/20938.php Is Taylor Fritz The Next American Tennis Star?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/tennis/bnp/2023/03/03/bnp-paribas-open-taylor-fritz-returns-to-indian-wells-as-top-5-player/69928658007/ | title=BNP Paribas Open: Taylor and Guy Fritz have come full circle, with the younger Fritz playing his best tennis }}</ref>
==Tennis career== She reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals, once at the US Open in 1978 and twice at the French Open in 1977 and 1978. She won seven WTA singles titles during her career, and achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 10 in 1977.
She was coached by Tony Trabert.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kathy May Hands Wade Upset Loss|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H_tLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AfkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5847%2C843687|work=Spokane Daily Chronicle|agency=AP|date=January 5, 1978|page=34}}</ref>
==WTA Tour finals== ===Singles: 7 (7–0)=== {| |-valign=top | {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" !Winner - Legend |- |bgcolor=#F3E6D7|Grand Slam tournaments (0–0) |- |bgcolor=#FFFFCC|WTA Tour Championships (0–0) |- | Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (7–0) |} | {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" ! Titles by surface |- |Hard (3–0) |- |Grass (1–0) |- |Clay (3–0) |- |Carpet (0–0) |} |} {|class="sortable wikitable" !style="width:70px"|Outcome !style="width:20px"|No. !style="width:115px"|Date !style="width:180px"|Tournament !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:180px"|Opponent !style="width:130px" class="unsortable"|Score |- |style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner |1. |September 17, 1973 |Los Angeles |Hard |{{flagicon|USA}} Lea Antonoplis |5–7, 6–1, 6–2 |-bgcolor= |style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner |2. |April 22, 1974 |Ojai Tennis Tournament |Hard |{{flagicon|USA}} Susan Hagey |2–6, 6–0, 6–1 |-bgcolor= |style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner |3. |May 6, 1974 |Los Angeles |Hard |{{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Morse |6–4, 7–6 |-bgcolor= |style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner |4. |August 19, 1974 |Haverford |Grass |{{flagicon|USA}} Barbara Jordan |6–3, 7–5 |-bgcolor= |style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner |5. |March 17, 1975 |Pensacola, Florida |Clay |{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Ilana Kloss |5–7, 6–4, 7–6 |-bgcolor= |style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner |6. |January 19, 1976 |Fort Myers, Florida |Clay |{{flagicon|USA}} Ann Kiyomura |5–7, 6–3, 6–1 |-bgcolor= |style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner |7. |September 8, 1976 |Indianapolis |Clay |{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Brigitte Cuypers |6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |}
===Doubles: 7 (4–3) === {| |-valign=top | {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" !Winner - Legend |- |bgcolor=#F3E6D7|Grand Slam tournaments (0–0) |- |bgcolor=#FFFFCC|WTA Tour Championships (0–0) |- | Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (4–3) |} | {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" ! Titles by surface |- |Hard (3–2) |- |Grass (0–0) |- |Clay (1–1) |- |Carpet (0–0) |} |} {|class="sortable wikitable" !style="width:70px"|Outcome !style="width:20px"|No. !style="width:115px"|Date !style="width:180px"|Tournament !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:180px"|Partner !style="width:180px"|Opponents !style="width:140px" class="unsortable"|Score |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner | 1. | May 7, 1973 | Los Angeles | Hard | {{flagicon|USA}} Marita Redondo | {{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Morse <br /> {{flagicon|USA}} Jean Nachand | 6–4, 6–0 |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner | 2. | September 17, 1973 | Los Angeles | Hard | {{flagicon|USA}} Marita Redondo | {{flagicon|USA}} Laurie Tenney <br /> {{flagicon|USA}} Robin Tenney | 6–3, 7–5 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up | 1. | May 6, 1974 | Los Angeles | Hard | {{flagicon|USA}} Maricaye Christenson | {{flagicon|USA}} Lea Antonoplis <br /> {{flagicon|USA}} Susan Hagey | 6–3, 6–4 |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner | 3. | July 8, 1974 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Clay | {{flagicon|USA}} Rayni Fox | {{flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Morse <br /> {{flagicon|USA}} JoAnne Russell | 5–7, 6–4, 6–2 |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Winner | 4. | September 16, 1974 | Los Angeles | Hard | {{flagicon|USA}} Susan Hagey | {{flagicon|USA}} Dodo Cheney <br /> {{flagicon|USA}} Cynthia-Ann Thomas | 6–2, 6–4 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up | 2. | August 18, 1975 | South Orange | Clay | {{flagicon|USA}} Kathleen Harter | {{flagicon|USA}} Kristien Shaw <br /> {{flagicon|RSA|1928}} Greer Stevens | w/o |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up | 3. | November 21, 1978 | Tokyo | Hard (i) | {{flagicon|USA}} Tracy Austin | {{flagicon|USA}} Martina Navratilova <br /> {{flagicon|NED}} Betty Stöve | 6–4, 6–7, 3–6 |}
==Grand Slam singles tournament timeline== {{performance key|active=no|short=yes}} {| class="wikitable" ! Tournament !! 1973 !! 1974 !! 1975 !! 1976 !! colspan=2|1977 !! 1978 !! 1979 !! 1980 !! Career SR |- |style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Australian Open |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |'''0 / 0''' |- |style="background:#EFEFEF;" | French Open |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center"| A |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;" colspan=2|QF |align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R |align="center"| A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |'''0 / 4''' |- |style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Wimbledon |align="center"| A |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;" colspan=2|4R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |'''0 / 7''' |- |style="background:#EFEFEF;" | US Open |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R |align="center"|A |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;" colspan=2|1R |align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R |align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |'''0 / 7''' |- |style="background:#EFEFEF;" |SR | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" colspan=2| 0 / 3 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | '''0 / 18''' |- |align=left|Year-end ranking |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| 57 |align="center"| 19 |align="center" colspan=2|21 |align="center" |15 |align="center" |19 |align="center" |130 |} *Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
==See also== {{Portal|Tennis}} *List of female tennis players
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{WTA}} * {{ITF}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Kathy}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:American female tennis players Category:American people of German-Jewish descent Category:Jewish American tennis players Category:Sportspeople from Beverly Hills, California Category:Tennis players from Los Angeles County, California Kathy Category:21st-century American Jews Category:21st-century American women Category:Jews from California