Mary Joe Fernández
Mary Joe Fernández Godsick is an American former professional tennis player, who reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in both singles and doubles. In singles, Fernández was the runner-up at the 1990 and 1992 Australian Opens, and the 1993 French Open, as well as winning a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. In doubles, she won the 1991 Australian Open with Patty Fendick and 1996 French Open with Lindsay Davenport, plus two Olympic gold medals.
Career
Mary Joe Fernández first came to the tennis world's attention as an outstanding junior player who won four straight Orange Bowl junior titles. In 1985, aged 14 years and eight days, she became the youngest player to win a main draw match at the US Open when she defeated Sara Gomer in the first round.Turning professional in 1986, she won her first tour doubles title in 1989 at Dallas, partnering Betsy Nagelsen. She was also semifinalist at the 1989 French Open, losing to Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 2-6, 2-6.
She reached her first Grand Slam singles final in 1990 at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by Steffi Graf 3-6, 4-6. She won her first WTA singles title came the same yeat at the Tokyo Indoor championships, and finished the year ranked a career-high world No. 4 in singles.
In 1991, Fernández reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she was match point up against Monica Seles, before eventually losing 3-6, 6-0, 7-9.. She teamed with Patty Fendick to win the women's Australian Open doubles title. At Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals, losing to Steffi Graf in straight sets.
She reached the Australian Open singles final again in 1992, beating world no. 3 Gabriela Sabatini in the semifinals before losing to Seles 2-6, 3-6. She also reached the semifinals of the US Open, beating Sabatini in the quarterfinals and losing once again to Seles. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Fernández was selected to represent the United States and won both a gold medal in women's doubles and a bronze medal in singles.
In 1993, she won the title in Indian Wells, defeating Amanda Coetzer in the final. At the French Open, she defeated world no. 5 Sabatini in the quarterfinals and world no. 3 Sanchez-Vicario in the semifinals. In the final against Steffi Graf, Fernandez held several points to lead 3-0 in the final set, but eventually lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Fernández won her second Grand Slam doubles title in 1996 at the French Open, partnering with Lindsay Davenport. The pair went on to capture the year-end WTA Tour Championships doubles title later that year.
She was a late replacement for Chanda Rubin on the United States team for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She won a second straight women's doubles gold medal, again in partnership with Gigi Fernández. She was also entered in the singles competition, and reached the semifinals, defeating world no. 2 Conchita Martinez in the quarterfinals. She was defeated for the bronze medal by Jana Novotná. Later that year, Fernández was a member of the U.S. team that won the Fed Cup.
Fernández reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 1997, losing to Martina Hingis 1-6, 3-6. In May, she won her first and only tier I tournament in Berlin, beating Jana Novotna in the semifinals and Mary Pierce in the final. At the end-of-year WTA Finals, she defeated world no. 2 Lindsay Davenport.
In 1999, she defeated Serena Williams in the third round of the French Open and in her last grand slam appearance she lost to Venus Williams in the fourth round of the US Open the same year.
She retired from the tour in 2000, having won a total of 24 titles:- seven WTA singles titles and 17 doubles titles.
Post Retirement
In 2003, Dr. Wade Exum, the United States Olympic Committee's director of drug control administration from 1991 to 2000, gave copies of documents to Sports Illustrated which revealed that some 100 American athletes who failed drug tests and should have been prevented from competing in the Olympics were nevertheless cleared to compete. Among those athletes was Fernández.Fernández coached the US Fed Cup team from 2008 to 2016 and served as the woman's coach for the 2012 U.S. Olympic tennis team in London.
She currently works as an analyst and commentator for ESPN.
Personal life
Fernández was born in the Dominican Republic; her parents were immigrants to the country. Her father José is from Asturias, Spain, and her mother Silvia Pino is from Cuba. She completed her high school education at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, Florida.In April 2000, Fernández married Anthony Godsick, a sports agent with International Management Group.. Monica Seles was a bridesmaid at the wedding. They have two children. Her husband is the current agent of Roger Federer.
She has homes in Cleveland, Ohio, and Key Biscayne, Florida.
Significant finals
Grand Slam tournaments
Singles: 3 (3 runners-up)
Women's doubles: 7 (2 titles, 5 runners-up)
Olympics
Singles: 1 bronze medal
Mary Joe Fernández lost in the semifinals to Steffi Graf 4–6, 2–6. In 1992, there was no bronze medal play-off match, both beaten semifinal players received bronze medals.Doubles: 2 gold medals
Year-end championships finals
Doubles: 1 title
WTA career finals
Singles: 16 (7–9)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | October 9, 1989 | Filderstadt | Carpet |  Gabriela Sabatini | 6–7, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | January 15, 1990 | Australian Open | Hard |  Steffi Graf | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | September 24, 1990 | Tokyo | Carpet |  Amy Frazier | 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 2. | October 15, 1990 | Filderstadt | Carpet |  Barbara Paulus | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 3. | April 15, 1991 | Houston | Clay |  Monica Seles | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | September 16, 1991 | Tokyo | Hard | Monica Seles | 1–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 5. | January 13, 1992 | Australian Open | Hard | Monica Seles | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 6. | February 3, 1992 | Essen | Carpet | Monica Seles | 0–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 3. | February 22, 1993 | Indian Wells | Hard |  Amanda Coetzer | 3–6, 6–1, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 7. | May 24, 1993 | French Open | Clay |  Steffi Graf | 6–4, 2–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 8. | June 10, 1994 | Sydney | Hard |  Kimiko Date | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 4. | May 16, 1994 | Strasbourg | Clay | Gabriela Sabatini | 2–6, 6–4, 6–0 |
| Winner | 5. | February 27, 1995 | Indian Wells | Hard |  Natasha Zvereva | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 6. | October 16, 1995 | Brighton | Carpet |  Amanda Coetzer | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 9. | June 17, 1996 | Eastbourne | Grass | Monica Seles | 0–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 7. | May 12, 1997 | Berlin | Clay |  Mary Pierce | 6–4, 6–2 |
Doubles: 43 (19–24)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | January 30, 1989 | Tokyo | Carpet | Claudia Kohde-Kilsch | Katrina Adams Zina Garrison | 3–6, 6–3, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 2. | March 13, 1989 | Boca Raton | Hard |  Jo Durie |  Jana Novotná Helena Suková | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | August 7, 1989 | Los Angeles | Hard | Claudia Kohde-Kilsch | Martina Navratilova  Wendy Turnbull | 2–5 ret. |
| Runner-up | 4. | August 28, 1989 | US Open | Hard | Pam Shriver | Hana Mandlíková Martina Navratilova | 7–5, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | September 18, 1989 | Dallas | Carpet | Betsy Nagelsen | Elise Burgin Rosalyn Fairbank | 7–6, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 5. | January 15, 1990 | Australian Open | Hard | Patty Fendick | Jana Novotná Helena Suková | 6–7, 6–7 |
| Winner | 2. | September 24, 1990 | Tokyo | Carpet | Robin White | Gigi Fernández Martina Navratilova | 4–6, 6–3, 7–6 |
| Winner | 3. | October 15, 1990 | Filderstadt | Carpet | Zina Garrison | Mercedes Paz  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 7–5, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 6. | November 5, 1990 | Worcester | Carpet | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Helena Suková | 6–3, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 4. | January 14, 1991 | Australian Open | Hard | Patty Fendick | Gigi Fernández Jana Novotná | 7–6, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 7. | January 28, 1991 | Tokyo | Carpet | Robin White | Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie | 6–4, 0–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 5. | March 15, 1991 | Key Biscayne | Hard | Zina Garrison | Gigi Fernández Jana Novotná | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 8. | April 15, 1991 | Houston | Clay | Patty Fendick |  Jill Hetherington Kathy Rinaldi | 1–6, 6–2, 1–6 |
| Winner | 6. | September 16, 1991 | Tokyo | Hard | Pam Shriver | Carrie Cunningham  Laura Gildemeister | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 9. | November 11, 1991 | Philadelphia | Carpet | Zina Garrison |  Larisa Neiland Jana Novotná | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 10. | January 6, 1992 | Sydney | Hard | Zina Garrison | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Helena Suková | 6–7, 7–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 11. | January 13, 1992 | Australian Open | Hard | Zina Garrison | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Helena Suková | 4–6, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 12. | June 15, 1992 | Eastbourne | Grass | Zina Garrison |  Larisa Neiland Jana Novotná | 0–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 7. | July 28, 1992 | Olympics | Clay | Gigi Fernández | Conchita Martínez Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 7–5, 2–6, 6–2 |
| Winner | 8. | September 21, 1992 | Tokyo | Hard | Robin White |  Yayuk Basuki Nana Miyagi | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 13. | Mary 3, 1993 | Rome | Clay | Zina Garrison |  Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 9. | May 17, 1993 | Lucerne | Clay | Helena Suková | Lindsay Davenport Marianne Werdel | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 14. | October 17, 1994 | Brighton | Carpet | Jana Novotná |  Manon Bollegraf Larisa Neiland | 6–4, 2–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 15. | January 9, 1995 | Sydney | Hard | Patty Fendick | Lindsay Davenport Jana Novotná | 5–7, 6–2, 4–6 |
| Winner | 10. | March 6, 1995 | Delray Beach | Hard | Jana Novotná | Lori McNeil Larisa Neiland | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 11. | May 22, 1995 | Strasbourg | Clay | Lindsay Davenport |  Sabine Appelmans Miriam Oremans | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 12. | September 18, 1995 | Tokyo | Hard | Lindsay Davenport | Amanda Coetzer Linda Wild | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 13. | January 8, 1996 | Sydney | Hard | Lindsay Davenport | Lori McNeil Helena Suková | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 16. | January 15, 1995 | Australian Open | Hard | Lindsay Davenport | Chanda Rubin Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 5–7, 6–2, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 17. | April 1, 1996 | Hilton Head Island | Clay | Gigi Fernández | Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 14. | May 27, 1996 | French Open | Clay | Lindsay Davenport | Gigi Fernández  Natasha Zvereva | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Winner | 15. | July 22, 1996 | Olympics | Hard | Gigi Fernández | Jana Novotná Helena Suková | 7–6, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 18. | August 5, 1996 | Montreal | Hard | Helena Suková | Larisa Neiland Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6–7, 1–6 |
| Winner | 16. | November 4, 1996 | Oakland | Carpet | Lindsay Davenport |  Irina Spîrlea Nathalie Tauziat | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 17. | November 18, 1996 | Chase Championships | Carpet | Lindsay Davenport | Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 18. | March 31, 1997 | Hilton Head Island | Clay |  Martina Hingis | Lindsay Davenport Jana Novotná | 7–5, 4–6, 6–1 |
| Winner | 19. | May 19, 1997 | Madrid | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Inés Gorrochategui Irina Spîrlea | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 19. | May 26, 1997 | French Open | Clay | Lisa Raymond | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 20. | August 10, 1998 | Boston | Hard | Mariaan de Swardt | Lisa Raymond Rennae Stubbs | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 21. | September 21, 1998 | Tokyo | Hard | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |  Anna Kournikova Monica Seles | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 22. | January 11, 1999 | Sydney | Hard | Anke Huber | Elena Likhovtseva Ai Sugiyama | 3–6, 6–2, 0–6 |
| Runner-up | 23. | March 3, 1999 | Indian Wells | Hard | Jana Novotná | Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 24. | March 18, 1999 | Key Biscayne | Hard | Monica Seles | Martina Hingis Jana Novotná | 6–0, 4–6, 6–7 |
Grand Slam performance timeline
Singles
Doubles
- NH = tournament not held.
- A = did not participate in the tournament.
- SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.