The second daughter of Oscar James Akhurst, a lithographer, and his wife Jessie Florence (née Smith), Daphne Akhurst won the women's singles title at the
Australian Championships five times, in 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, and 1930. She is fourth on the list of most women's singles titles at the Australian Championships; behind only
Margaret Court with eleven titles,
Serena Williams with seven and
Nancye Wynne Bolton with six titles. She won the women's doubles title at the Australian Championships five times: in 1924 and 1925 with
Sylvia Lance Harper, in 1928 with
Esna Boyd Robertson, and in 1929 and 1931 with
Louie Bickerton. She and
Marjorie Cox were the runners-up in 1926. In 1925 she was part of the first Australian women's team to tour Europe and reached the quarterfinal of the singles event at
Wimbledon which she lost to
Joan Fry. ==Personal life==