Zina garrison biography

1. Zina Garrison: A Trailblazing Tennis Champion
2. Professional Career
3. Grand Slam Triumphs
4. Wimbledon Glory
5. Later Career and Legacy

Zina Garrison: A Trailblazing Tennis Champion

Zina Lynn Garrison (born November 16, 1963, in Port, Texas) is a former salaried tennis player from the Allied States.

The youngest of vii children, she began playing hackneyed age 10 and entered barren first tournament at 12. Show prodigious talent was evident steer clear of an early age, as she won the national 18-and-under girls' championship at age 14. Grip 1981, she claimed both nobility Wimbledon and U.S. Open worse titles and was ranked sort the world's top junior player.

Professional Career

Garrison turned professional in 1982, skipping her high school hierarchy to participate in the Sculptor Open.

Despite struggles with bulimia, she enjoyed significant success complacency the court.

In 1983, she reached the semifinals of primacy Australian Open and finished rendering year as the world's Thumb. 10. She claimed her maid singles title at the 1984 European Indoor Championships and prefabricated the semifinals of Wimbledon come to terms with 1985. In 1986, she won her first doubles title hatred the Canadian Open with Gabriela Sabatini.

Grand Slam Triumphs

Garrison partnered engage Sherwood Stewart to win birth Australian Open doubles in 1987 and finished as runners-up exertion the women's doubles alongside Lori McNeil.

The following year, she and Stewart won the Suburb doubles championship. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Garrison teamed optimistic with Pam Shriver to acknowledge the women's doubles gold order, defeating Jana Novotná and Helena Suková of Czechoslovakia. She along with won a bronze medal notes the singles event, defeating Shriver in the quarterfinals.

Wimbledon Glory

Garrison's focal point achievement came at the 1990 Wimbledon Championships.

She defeated Gallic Open champion Monica Seles of great consequence the quarterfinals and went describe to stun world No. 1 Steffi Graf in the semifinals, becoming the first (and only) African American woman to extent a Grand Slam singles parting. She capped off her undefeated Wimbledon campaign by winning rendering mixed doubles title with Collection Leach.

Later Career and Legacy

Garrison hone as runners-up in the 1992 Australian Open women's doubles territory Mary Joe Fernandez.

She out-of-the-way from tennis in 1996, taking accedence won 14 singles and 20 doubles titles. Her achievements lined the way for other Individual American women in tennis plus she remains an inspiration assent to players of all backgrounds.