Athletes

Tracy Austin set several records during her career as tennis’ young, rising star. At the age of 16, Austin defeated Chris Evert to became the youngest U.S. Open champion (1979). Austin won her second U.S. Open title against Martina Navratilova in 1981. In 1980, she won 11 titles, including the Wimbledon mixed doubles championship, vaulting her into the No. 1 ranking in the world – a position alternated between Navratilova and Evert for the previous five years. With her victory in Portland, Ore., at the age of 14 (1977) Austin became the youngest player to win a professional tournament. Her rise to the top included being named the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 1980 Player of the Year, the Associated Press Athlete of the Year (1979 and 1980) and the Women's Sports Foundation's Professional Sportswoman of the Year in 1980. In total, Austin won 30 professional singles titles, including the 1979 Italian Open. In 1992 at 29 years old, she became the youngest inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Since her retirement from professional play, Austin has served as a tennis analyst for NBC during the Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic tennis tournaments, as well as a commentator for USA Network during the U.S. Open.