Athletes

Gigi Fernandez, the first female professional athlete from Puerto Rico, won two Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour singles titles and 69 doubles titles in her career. Before retiring in 1997, she won at least one doubles Grand Slam title every year since 1988 except 1989. In 1997, Fernandez and teammate Natasha Zvereva won their fourth Wimbledon doubles title (1992, 1993 and 1994), and with that win, Fernandez earned her 17th Grand Slam doubles title. Also in 1997, Fernandez won her sixth French Open, after five consecutive titles from 1991-1995, and she played on the U.S. Fed Cup team for the eighth time (1988, 1990-1992, 1994-1996). Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez, who is of no relation, won doubles gold medals at both the 1996 and the 1992 Olympic Games. In 1996, Fernandez won her fifth U.S. Open doubles title (1988, 1990, 1992 and 1995) and reached the third round of Wimbledon as a singles player. Fernandez was the three0time recipient of the COREL WTA TOUR Doubles Team of the Year Award with partner Natasha Zvereva (1993-1995), and she also won the award with partner Jana Novotna in 1991. Fernandez was named the 1994 Female Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Tennis Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee after an outstanding year in 1993 in which she won doubles titles at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. A member of the U.S. Wightman Cup Team from 1987-1988, Fernandez was named Puerto Rican Female Athlete of the Year in 1988. Since retiring, Fernandez has coached many players, including former World No. 1 doubles player Rennae Stubbs, and served as head coach at University of South Florida from 2002-2005. She also manages the Gigi Fernandez Charitable Foundation, which contributes to various Hispanic and Puerto Rican organizations, and founded an Internet company with professional golfer Jane Geddes called Planesia. She has previously served as a member of the Women's Sports Foundation's Athlete Relations Committee. (10/06)