Zina Garrison facts for kids
Garrison in 2001
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Country (sports) |  United States |
||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residence | Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 16, 1963 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1982 | ||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1997 | ||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (one handed-backhand) | ||||||||||||||||
| Prize money | $4,590,816 | ||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 587–270 (68.49%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (November 20, 1989) | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | SF (1983) | ||||||||||||||||
| French Open | QF (1982) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | F (1990) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | SF (1988, 1989) | ||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | |||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | SF (1988) | ||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 436–231 (65.37%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (May 23, 1988) | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | F (1987, 1992) | ||||||||||||||||
| French Open | QF (1988, 1989, 1991, 1995) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1988, 1990, 1991, 1993) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | SF (1985, 1991) | ||||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | |||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | W (1988) | ||||||||||||||||
| Mixed doubles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (1987) | ||||||||||||||||
| French Open | SF (1989) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (1988, 1990) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | SF (1987) | ||||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||||
| Fed Cup | W (1989, 1990) | ||||||||||||||||
| Hopman Cup | F (1991) | ||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||
Zina Lynna Garrison (born November 16, 1963) is an American former professional tennis player. She was a fantastic athlete who achieved many great things in her career. Zina reached the singles final at the 1990 Wimbledon Championships. She also won three major titles in mixed doubles. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, she earned a gold medal in women's doubles and a bronze medal in singles. Zina Garrison reached her highest singles ranking of world No. 4 in November 1989.
Contents
Zina's Tennis Journey
Starting Young and Becoming a Pro
Zina Garrison was the youngest of seven children. She started playing tennis when she was 10 years old. By the age of 12, she entered her very first tournament. Just two years later, at 14, Zina won the national girls' 18s title. This showed how talented she was from a young age.
In 1981, Zina won both the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles. This made her the world's No. 1 junior player. She graduated from Sterling High School in Houston, Texas, in 1982.
Zina turned professional in 1982. She even skipped her high school graduation to play in the French Open. This was her first tournament as a professional, and she reached the quarterfinals! Because of her amazing start, she was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 1982.
Overcoming Challenges and Early Success
During her first few years on the tour, Zina faced some personal challenges. Despite these difficulties, she had great success on the tennis court. In 1983, her first full year as a pro, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She ended that year ranked No. 10 in the world.
Zina won her first major singles titles in 1984. This happened at the European Indoor Championships in Zürich. In 1985, she beat two top players, Hana Mandlíková and Chris Evert. She won the Amelia Island Championships that year. Zina also reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1985. In 1986, she won her first doubles title at the Canadian Open with her partner, Gabriela Sabatini.
Grand Slam and Olympic Achievements
Zina continued to shine in doubles and mixed doubles. At the Australian Open in 1987, she won the mixed doubles title with Sherwood Stewart. She also finished as a runner-up in women's doubles with Lori McNeil. A year later, Zina and Sherwood Stewart won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon.
The 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul were a big highlight for Zina. She teamed up with Pam Shriver to win the women's doubles gold medal for the United States. They beat Jana Novotná and Helena Suková in the final. Zina also won a bronze medal in the singles event at those Olympics. At the US Open that year, she beat defending champion Martina Navratilova for the first time. She reached the semifinals before losing to Gabriela Sabatini.
In 1989, Zina defeated Chris Evert in the quarterfinals of the US Open. This was Evert's final tournament. Zina then lost to Navratilova in the semifinals. She finished 1989 with her career-high singles ranking of No. 4 in the world.
Wimbledon Final and Retirement
The most memorable moment of Zina's career was in 1990 at Wimbledon. She had an incredible run, beating tough opponents like Monica Seles and world No. 1 Steffi Graf. Her win against Graf ended Graf's amazing streak of 13 Grand Slam finals in a row. Zina became the first African-American woman since Althea Gibson to reach the Wimbledon singles final. She lost to Martina Navratilova in the final. That same year, Zina won her third mixed doubles title at Wimbledon with Rick Leach.
In 1992, Zina was a runner-up in the Australian Open women's doubles with Mary Joe Fernández. At Wimbledon in 1994, she beat world No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. This led her to her 15th and final Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.
Zina Garrison retired from professional tennis in 1996. From 1982 to 1995, she was always ranked among the world's top 25 players. During her career, she won 14 top-level singles titles and 20 doubles titles.
Life After Tennis
Community Work and Coaching
After retiring from playing, Zina Garrison became a television commentator. She also stayed very involved in her community and in tennis. In 1988, she started the Zina Garrison Foundation for the Homeless. In 1992, she created the Zina Garrison All-Court Tennis Program. This program helps support tennis in inner-city areas of Houston. She also served on the United States President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Zina has continued to be a part of professional tennis. She was the captain for the U.S. Federation Cup (now Fed Cup) team. She also led the U.S. women's team at the 2008 Beijing Games tennis event. There, team members Venus and Serena Williams won a gold medal in doubles.
Playing Style
Zina Garrison had an exciting, attacking style of play. She often used a slice on her backhand and would quickly move to the net. This "chip-and-charge" tactic allowed her to finish points with her excellent volleys and overhead shots. She could rally from the baseline, but her main goal was to get to the net and win the point there.
Images for kids
-
Garrison in 2001
See also
In Spanish: Zina Garrison para niños
