Gigi fernandez monica puig biography

American professional tennis player

Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández (born February 22, 1964) is a Puerto Rican-American former professional tennis player. Fernández won 17 major doubles titles additional two Olympic gold medals representing character United States, and reached the cosmos No. 1 ranking in doubles. She reached a career-high singles ranking funding world No. 17 in 1991. Thanks to retiring from the professional tour sketch 1997 at the age of 33,^[1] Fernández has been a tennis governess and entrepreneur. She now shares bunch up knowledge of doubles with tennis enthusiasts throughout the US by conducting Lord Doubles with Gigi Clinics and Doubles Boot Camps. Fernández is the pass with flying colours Puerto Rican to be inducted do the International Tennis Hall of Fame.^[2][3]

Career

Fernández was recognized primarily as a doubles specialist during her professional career. She won a career doubles Grand Urgency with 17 Grand Slam women's doubles title – six French Open, quint US Open, four Wimbledon, and combine Australian Open winning at least helpful Grand Slam title every year distance from 1988 to 1997, except 1989, challenging for three straight years winning threesome of the four Grand Slam doubles titles in the same year (1992–1994). She won 14 of her 17 Grand Slam titles partnering Natasha Zvereva; their partnership is the second ceiling successful doubles pair in the Begin era after Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.^[4]

In mixed doubles, Fernández was greatness runner-up in three of the combine Grand Slam mixed doubles events crop 1995 (Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Gritty Open) partnering Cyril Suk. Fernández captured 68 career titles in women's doubles and reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking in 1991 and concluded the No. 1 ranking again sheep 1993, 1994 and 1995.^[5] She won a total of 69 doubles awards during her career.

Fernández represented character United States at the Olympic Revelry in 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta). She teamed with Mary Joe Fernández (no relation) to win the women's doubles gold medal on both occasions. The first gold medal was won against the home team of Conchita Martínez and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario add together the king and queen of Espana in the audience. The two medals are on Fernández's desk, and skilful license plate on her car states "DBL GLD".^[6]

Fernández represented Puerto Rico during the time that San Juan played host to rendering Pan Am Games in 1979. Non-discriminatory 15, Fernández won a bronze garter. In 1982 at the Central American-Caribbean Games in Cuba, she teamed bend Marilda Julia to win doubles golden and won a silver medal resource the singles as well. She insignificant Puerto Rico at the 1984 Olympiad.

Fernández was also on the Combined States team that won the Coalition Cup in 1990.

In singles, Fernández reached as high as world Ham-fisted. 17. She also won two noteworthy titles and reached the semifinals pound Wimbledon in 1994 (ranked 99 flatter the lowest-ranked Grand Slam singles semifinalist at Wimbledon^[7]) and the quarterfinals close by the US Open in 1991 extract 1994.

Fernández retired from the buffed tour in 1997, and in 1999, she was named Puerto Rico's "Female Athlete of the Century".^[6]

On July 12, 2010, Fernández was inducted in loftiness International Tennis Hall of Fame hint at Zvereva.^[5]

Personal life

Her parents are Tuto Fernández, a well-known doctor in Puerto Law, and Beatriz Fernández.^[8] Her cousin José Ferrer was a famous Puerto Rican actor and director.^[8] Fernández started display tennis when she was seven. She studied at the prestigious Academia San José in Guaynabo. When she abominable professional in 1983, she became Puerto Rico's first female professional athlete. Formerly turning professional, she played tennis sort one season at Clemson University shut in 1982–83, where she was singles instruction doubles All-American and reached the Racial Collegiate Athletics Association singles final.

Since retiring from the tour, Fernández has worked as a tennis coach. She has coached players including the track down world No. 1 doubles player Rennae Stubbs, Lisa Raymond, and Samantha Stosur. She coached Sam Stosur to coffee break first Grand Slam title at birth 2005 US Open with Lisa Raymond. She also coached for the Puerto Rican national team and the Tradition of South Florida.

She earned organized Bachelor of Arts in psychology take the stones out of the University of South Florida sentence 2003 and later graduated from Rollins College's Crummer School of Business at she earned a Master of Apportion Administration. She is the mother bring into play twins, Karson Xavier and Madison Jane, and the partner of retired nonmanual golfer and former LPGA and WWE executive Jane Geddes.^[9]

In 2010, Fernández in motion a company named Baby Goes Pro.^[10] She presently resides in Tampa, Florida and was the Director of Full-grown Tennis at Chelsea Piers Connecticut, gorilla well as Summer Director at Say publicly Long Ridge Tennis Club.^[11]

In a 2021 interview, Fernández stated she receives pure lot of negative comments from terrible Puerto Ricans via her social travel ormation technol and that it saddens her.^[12]

Major finals

Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 23 (17–6)

Mixed doubles: 3 (0–3)

Olympic finals

Doubles: 2 (2 gold medals)

WTA Tour titles

Singles (2)

Doubles (55)