Hall of Fame Live with Gigi Fernández
As one of the most influential Hispanic athletes in history, Gigi Fernández blazed a trail for Puerto Rican athletes by capturing two Olympic gold medals and 17 Grand Slam doubles trophies. She won a record-setting 14 Grand Slams in 5 years with doubles partner Natasha Zverera and this week she sat down with Blair Henley to talk about the influence tennis has had on her life.
Here are three things we learned about the 2020 Hall of Fame inductee this week.
1. The biggest challenge she faced was a lack of role models
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Gigi had no female role models who were Puerto Rican and played tennis. When she showed real talent for the sport, she couldn’t get coaches to teach her top spin because they thought women were too weak.
She fought hard to earn respect on the court, and in her home territory, laying the groundwork for future generations of Puerto Rican tennis players.
2. She went back to school after she retired from tennis
With multiple doctors in her family, Gigi’s family often joked she was a “college dropout.” Although her family was very proud of her accomplishments and this teasing was clearly coming from a place of love, Gigi did end up going back to college after she retired from tennis. She got an undergraduate degree in psychology, then went on to even higher education and now has her MBA!
Nowadays, she puts her degrees to work, running Gigi Fernandez Tennis, which offers tennis camps and clinics with Gigi and other legends of the game, travel experiences to Grand Slams and special tennis events, and online instruction programs.
3. Psychology played a huge role in her on court success
In order for her to find success on the court, she had to learn how to learn from loss. On the cusp of quitting tennis, Gigi’s agent suggested she work with famed performance psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr, who helped her enjoy the game again.
She learned to use her time on court wisely and to have fun with the game – eventually leading her to win a pivotal Grand Slam, beating powerhouse team of Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver and reigniting her passion for tennis.
Upcoming Hall of Fame Live Chats:
Join us to chat live with some of the sport’s all-time live on the International Tennis Hall of Fame Facebook page.
Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters, Thursday May 21 at 2 pm EST
Bonus!
Hall of Fame LIVE featured impromptu whiteboard session with Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez! Take notes ✍️
Watch below for Gigi's tips on how staggering your movement with your partner is sure to help you win points in your next match.
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