Denise Carter Triolo

Denise Carter Triolo, Rebel Tennis Star, Dies at 75.

Denise Triolo, one of the most talented young women tennis players in the United States, died on March 31, in Palo Alto, California. She was 75.

Born Denise Carter, on July 31, 1950, in San Francisco, she was the youngest of three daughters, Cristen and Cathy, and raised by her parents, Geraldine and Clarence “Nick” Carter, both professional tennis players who taught tennis and competed internationally. Childhood memories included living as a family in Mallorca, Spain, during which time her parents played the European tennis circuit.

Denise would later return to Europe as a rising young tennis star. Once ranked eighth in the U.S. in 1969, career highlights included being a junior national champion, reaching the third round in the U.S. Open in 1968 and 1969, and playing Wimbledon every year from 1969 to 1971. She was coached by her father, Clarence, who was the pro at Arden Hills Tennis Club and, later, Foothill Tennis Club in Palo Alto.

The Carter family would eventually reside in Palo Alto, where Denise met and married Jim Triolo in 1971. The two shared many adventures together, including directing a tennis program at a resort on the Costa del Sol, Malaga, Spain, which afforded them extensive travels throughout Europe and North Africa. Returning to California, the two settled in Menlo Park, started The Court Works, a successful retail tennis store in Woodside, and raised two sons, Ryan (b. 1980) and Nick (b. 1983). She would be the tennis pro at the University Club for seven years.

Denise loved travel, backcountry, reading, caring for animals, and time with family. Her fondest memories were of playing on the Virginia Slims tour in South Africa and going on safari in Kruger National Park. Her last remaining years were spent living in Palo Alto, in loving support of her family, and working for a short time at Country Sun Natural Foods.

She is survived by her two sons, Nick and Ryan, her former husband, Jim Triolo, and her older sister Cristen Vanchieri.

Plans are in motion for a memorial around her birthday, July 31, to celebrate the life of Denise Triolo, in Palo Alto. Please direct any financial support or donations to East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT), which “equips youth to thrive in college and career pathways through academic one-on-one tutoring, parent empowerment, enrichment activities, mentorship, coaching, and tennis instruction.”