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 a former professional tennis player from the United States. She was a top player, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in both singles and doubles. Mary Joe was a runner-up in three Grand Slam singles finals. She also won two Grand Slam doubles titles and two Olympic gold medals in women's doubles. She earned a bronze medal in singles at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Mary Joe Fernández first became known as a talented junior tennis player. She won four straight junior titles at the Orange Bowl. In 1985, at just 14 years old, she made history. She became the youngest player to win a main draw match at the US Open.
She turned professional in 1986. Her first tour doubles title came in 1989 in Dallas. She partnered with Betsy Nagelsen for that win. In singles, she reached the semifinals of the French Open that same year.
Grand Slam Finals and Top Rankings
In 1990, Mary Joe reached her first Grand Slam singles final. This was at the Australian Open, where she played against 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 career ranking.
The following year, in 1991, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She also won the women's doubles title there with Patty Fendick. At Wimbledon, she made it to the semifinals.
Mary Joe reached the Australian Open singles final again in 1992. She beat the world No. 3, Gabriela Sabatini, in the semifinals. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open that year.
Olympic Success
The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona were a big moment for Mary Joe. She proudly represented the United States. She won a gold medal in women's doubles with Gigi Fernández. She also earned a bronze medal in singles at the same Olympics.
In 1993, she won a singles title at Indian Wells. She reached the final of the French Open that year, playing against Steffi Graf again.
Mary Joe won her second Grand Slam doubles title in 1996. This was at the French Open, where she teamed up with Lindsay Davenport. They also won the year-end WTA Tour Championships doubles title together.
She was chosen to play for the United States at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. There, she won her second straight women's doubles gold medal, again with Gigi Fernández. She also played in the singles event and reached the semifinals. 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. In May, she won her first major Tier I tournament in Berlin. She beat Jana Novotná and Mary Pierce to win the title.
She retired from professional tennis in 2000. She had won a total of 24 titles during her career. This included seven WTA singles titles and 17 doubles titles.
Life After Tennis
After retiring from playing, Mary Joe Fernández stayed involved in tennis. She coached the U.S. Fed Cup team from 2008 to 2016. She also served as the women's coach for the 2012 U.S. Olympic tennis team in London.
Today, she works as an analyst and commentator for ESPN. She shares her tennis knowledge with viewers.
Personal Life
Mary Joe Fernández was born in the Dominican Republic. Her parents were immigrants to the country. Her father, José, is from Asturias, Spain. 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. They have two children together. Her husband is also the agent for 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.
Images for kids
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Mary Joe in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Mary Joe Fernández para niños
