Gigi Fernández

Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández (born February 22, 1964) is a Puerto Rican former professional tennis player. Fernández won 17 major doubles titles and two Olympic gold medals representing the United States, and reached the world No. 1 ranking in doubles. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 17 in 1991. Since retiring from the professional tour in 1997 at the age of 33, Fernández has been a tennis coach, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She combines her two passions, tennis and travel and offers unique tennis experiences to tennis aficionados. Her doubles program, The Gigi Method, teaches players of all levels the art and science of doubles. She founded Tennis for Hope after her house flooded during Hurricane Helene to help people in the tennis community affected by Natural Disasters. Fernández is the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Career Fernández was recognized primarily as a doubles specialist during her professional career. She won a career doubles Grand Slam with 17 Grand Slam women's doubles title – six French Open, five US Open, four Wimbledon, and two Australian Open winning at least one Grand Slam title every year from 1988 to 1997, except 1989, and for three straight years winning three of the four Grand Slam doubles titles in the same year (1992–1994). She won 14 of her 17 Grand Slam titles and three Career Grand Slams partnering Natasha Zvereva; their partnership is the second most successful doubles pair in the Open era after Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

In mixed doubles, Fernández was the runner-up in three of the four Grand Slam mixed doubles events in 1995 (Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) partnering Cyril Suk. Fernández captured 69 career titles in doubles and reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking in 1991 and attained the No. 1 ranking again in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Fernández represented the United States at the Olympic Games in 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta). She teamed with Mary Joe Fernández (no relation) to win the women's doubles gold medal on both occasions. The first gold medal was won against the home team of Conchita Martínez and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario with the king and queen of Spain in the audience.

Fernández represented Puerto Rico when San Juan played host to the Pan Am Games in 1979. Just 15, Fernández won a bronze medal. In 1982 at the Central American-Caribbean Games in Cuba, she teamed with Marilda Julia to win doubles gold and won a silver medal in the singles as well. She represented Puerto Rico at the 1984 Olympics.

Fernández was also on the United States team that won the Federation Cup in 1990.

In singles, Fernández reached as high as world No. 17. She also won two top-level titles and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1994 (ranked 99 becoming the lowest-ranked Grand Slam singles semifinalist at Wimbledon ) and the quarterfinals at the US Open in 1991 and 1994.

Fernández retired from the professional tour in 1997, and in 1999, she was named Puerto Rico's "Female Athlete of the Century". Her cousin José Ferrer was Puerto Rican actor, Oscar Winner and director.

Gigi is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, where she has been serving as a board member since 2018.

In January 2025, after her house flooded during Hurricane Helene, she started a not-for-profit foundation called Tennis for Hope. The Foundation helps people in the tennis community affected by natural disasters. It is a member-based organization with over 50 members pledging $500,000 in the year since her house flooded.

Doubles performance timeline

Grand Slam tournament finals

Doubles: 23 (17 titles, 6 runner-ups)

Mixed doubles: 3 runner-ups

Other significant finals

Summer Olympics Doubles: 2 (2 gold medals)

WTA Tour finals Singles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Doubles: 118 (69 titles, 49 runner-ups)