Stacy Margolin is a former American professional tennis player in the WTA tour and the ITF world tour from 1979 to 1987 whose career-high world singles ranking is No. 18. In her eight professional seasons, Margolin competed in a total of twenty-five grand slam championships, which includes several appearances at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the French Open. Margolin was a talented junior player, competing in numerous national tournaments, including multiple appearances at the Ojai Tournament. She played for the University of Southern California during her collegiate career and led the Trojans to a national championship. In her 192 career singles matches and 124 career doubles matches, Margolin won one title and has partnered with other notable players such as John McEnroe and Anne White.
Early life
Beginning when she was 10 years old, Margolin played in numerous USTA junior tournaments, achieving a rank of No. 6 in the Under-12 division in Southern California. She was ranked No. 17 in the nation after competing in the USTA Under-14 Junior Tennis Team National Competition. In 1975, she reached the No. 1 rank in Southern California Girls Under-16 and continue to win the U.S. Under-18 Indoor Championship in 1976 and become the No. 1 Southern California Girls Under-18 and No. 5 U.S. Girls Under-18. Margolin would win the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, the country's oldest amateur tennis tournament, seven times — U14s, U16s, U18s, Doubles, Women's Open, and Collegiate Division.
High school and collegiate career
At Beverly Hills High School, Margolin was not only the No. 1 women's singles player, but joined the men's varsity tennis team and became their No. 1 player as well. She would then go on to be No. 1 women's singles player at the University of Southern California, where she went undefeated during her freshman and sophomore years in their dual home matches. She helped lead the USC Trojans to a USTA and an AIAW national team title. Margolin would become a two-time Collegiate All-American during those two years. As a freshman, she would become the USTA Collegiate Singles Champion.
Professional career
In 1977, Margolin was the U.S. 21-and-Under Champion and was a member of the U.S. Team participating in the Junior Wightman Cup. Additionally, she was the runner-up to Tracy Austin at Avon Championships of Portland. At the 1977 Maccabiah Games in Israel — a competition for Jewish athletes — Margolin won gold, silver, and bronze medals at various tennis events. In 1978, she was the U.S. 21-and-under Amateur Hard Court Champion as well as a U.S. Team Member in the Federation Cup held in the United Kingdom. Margolin went on to defeat Tracy Austin to become the Women's Southern California Sectional Champion and was the Southern California Sectional Mixed Doubles Champion with her brother, Mike Margolin. Margolin won her first and only tour championship, the 1978 WTA's Women in Tennis International Singles Champion held in San Antonio, Texas. After turning professional in 1979, she reached a career-high No. 18 world ranking and finished the 1979 season ranked No. 25. Margolin was consistently ranked in the top 40 between 1980 and 1984, and would go on to be a Wimbledon Plate quarter finalist and a semi-finalist in the Wells Fargo Open in San Diego. She continued to compete on the tour and participate in 25 grand slam championships, including the 1978 Wimbledon and U.S. Open mixed doubles, in which she was partnered with John McEnroe.
Personal life
After retiring from professional match play, Margolin earned a sociology degree from UCLA and a master's degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. She became the Head Tennis Director of the Youth and Adult Recreation Department in Ojai, CA from 1995 to 1998. She then became a nutrition and wellness consultant/lecturer at the Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, CA and was the head tennis coach of the boys and girls teams at the Thatcher School. Margolin self-published a book of poetry called Thoughts Allowed... A Journey into a Woman's Mind, Heart & Soul in 2009. Currently, she works with her husband as a health coach in their hiking, biking, rock climbing, and tennis company, Trails by Potter.
The result is on the right. The partner is below the result. The final opponent is on the left.
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles
The result is on the right. The partner is below the result. The final opponent is on the left.
Charity work
Margolin organized the first Ojai Tennis Marathon in 2000, an event in which participants attempt to play fifty games of tennis in a single day to raise funding for the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, of which Margolin's husband, Ian Potter, is on the board of directors. Margolin continues to organize the tennis marathon event as of 2015.
