Mary Joe Fernández facts for kids
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| Country (sports) |  United States |
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| Residence | Miami, Florida, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 19, 1971 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
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| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Prize money | $5,258,471 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 437–203 (68.28%) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 7 WTA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (October 22, 1990) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | F (1990, 1992) | |||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | F (1993) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1991) | |||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | SF (1990, 1992) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 344–141 (70.93%) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 17 WTA, 2 ITF | |||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (February 18, 1991) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (1991) | |||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (1996) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1991, 1993) | |||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | F (1989) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour Finals | W (1996) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Mary Joe Fernández Godsick (born María José Fernández; August 19, 1971) is an American former professional tennis player. She was once ranked as high as world No. 4 in both singles and doubles. Mary Joe was a runner-up at the 1990 and 1992 Australian Open. She also reached the final of the 1993 French Open.
In doubles, she won the 1991 Australian Open with Patty Fendick. She also won the 1996 French Open with Lindsay Davenport. Mary Joe also earned two gold medals at the Olympics in doubles. She also won a bronze medal in singles at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Contents
Mary Joe's Tennis Career
Mary Joe Fernández first became known as a talented junior tennis player. She won four junior titles at the Orange Bowl. In 1985, when she was just 14 years old, she made history. She became the youngest player to win a main draw match at the US Open. She beat Sara Gomer in the first round.
Becoming a Professional Player
Mary Joe turned professional in 1986. Her first major win was a doubles title in 1989 in Dallas. She played with her partner, Betsy Nagelsen. That same year, she reached the semifinals of the French Open. She lost to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.
In 1990, she played in her first Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open. She was defeated by the famous Steffi Graf. Later that year, she won her first singles title on the WTA Tour in Tokyo. She ended 1990 ranked as the world No. 4 in singles, her highest ranking ever.
Grand Slam and Olympic Success
In 1991, Mary Joe reached the semifinals of the Australian Open again. She had a match point against Monica Seles but eventually lost. However, she and Patty Fendick won the women's doubles title at the Australian Open. At Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals but lost to Steffi Graf.
She made it to the Australian Open singles final for a second time in 1992. She beat world No. 3, Gabriela Sabatini, in the semifinals. But she lost to Monica Seles in the final. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open that year.
At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Mary Joe represented the United States. She won a gold medal in women's doubles with Gigi Fernández. She also earned a bronze medal in singles.
In 1993, she won a title at Indian Wells. She beat Amanda Coetzer in the final. At the French Open, she reached the final again. She defeated top players like Sabatini and Sánchez Vicario. In the final, she played Steffi Graf in a tough match. Mary Joe had chances to lead in the final set but lost.
Later Career Highlights
Mary Joe won her second Grand Slam doubles title in 1996 at the French Open. She teamed up with Lindsay Davenport. They also won the year-end WTA Tour Championships doubles title later that year.
She was chosen to play for the United States at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She won her second straight women's doubles gold medal with Gigi Fernández. She also played in the singles event and reached the semifinals. She beat world No. 2, Conchita Martínez, but lost in the bronze medal match. Later in 1996, Mary Joe was part of the U.S. team that won the Fed Cup.
In 1997, Mary Joe reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She lost to Martina Hingis. In May, she won her first and only major Tier I tournament in Berlin. She beat Jana Novotná and Mary Pierce to win. At the end-of-year WTA Finals, she defeated world No. 2, Lindsay Davenport.
In 1999, she had a notable win against Serena Williams at the French Open. In her last Grand Slam appearance, she lost to Venus Williams at the US Open. Mary Joe retired from professional tennis in 2000. She had won 7 singles titles and 17 doubles titles during her career.
Life After Retirement
After retiring from playing, Mary Joe Fernández became a coach. She coached the US Fed Cup team from 2008 to 2016. She was also the women's coach for the 2012 U.S. Olympic tennis team in London.
Today, she works as a tennis analyst and commentator for ESPN. This means she helps explain matches and players to TV viewers.
Personal Life and Family
Mary Joe Fernández was born in the Dominican Republic. Her parents were immigrants to the country. Her father, José, is from Spain, and her mother, Silvia Pino, is from Cuba. She went to high school at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, Florida.
In April 2000, Mary Joe married Anthony (Tony) Godsick. He is a sports agent. Monica Seles, another famous tennis player, was a bridesmaid at their wedding. Mary Joe and Tony have two children. Her husband is also the agent for the famous tennis player Roger Federer. One of their children, Nicholas Godsick, is also a tennis player.
Mary Joe has homes in Cleveland, Ohio, and Key Biscayne, Florida.
Significant Finals
Grand Slam Singles Finals
Mary Joe Fernández reached three Grand Slam singles finals:
- 1990 Australian Open: Lost to Steffi Graf
- 1992 Australian Open: Lost to Monica Seles
- 1993 French Open: Lost to Steffi Graf
Grand Slam Doubles Finals
Mary Joe won two Grand Slam doubles titles:
- 1991 Australian Open: Won with Patty Fendick
- 1996 French Open: Won with Lindsay Davenport
She was also a runner-up in five other Grand Slam doubles finals.
Olympic Medals
Mary Joe won three Olympic medals for the United States:
- 1992 Barcelona: Gold medal in Women's Doubles (with Gigi Fernández)
- 1992 Barcelona: Bronze medal in Women's Singles
- 1996 Atlanta: Gold medal in Women's Doubles (with Gigi Fernández)
Year-End Championships Doubles
- 1996 WTA Tour Championships: Won with Lindsay Davenport
Images for kids
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Mary Joe in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Mary Joe Fernández para niños
