Mary Joe Fernandez Honored With USTA President’s Award

September 1, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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The USTA has announced that former world number four and current U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez has been honored with the 2014 USTA President’s Award. The announcement was made at the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. The Award honors an individual who has given extraordinary service to the sport of tennis in the public’s interest. Since its inception in 1999, award recipients have included Billie Jean King, Lindsay Davenport, Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan, and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized with the President’s Award,” said Fernandez. “Tennis has been in my life for 40 years now and I am so lucky to be able to stay involved in this great sport.”

“Mary Joe Fernandez is truly one of the game’s greats and has been a major contributor in our efforts to grow the game,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President David Haggerty. “She also has been an integral part of the U.S. Fed Cup team, both as a player and captain, and the entire tennis community has benefitted from her incredible passion, dedication and commitment.”

Ranked as high as fourth in the world in both singles and doubles, Fernandez won seven WTA singles titles and 19 doubles titles in her career, including two Grand Slam doubles titles–at the French Open in 1996 and the Australian Open in 1991. She also won three Olympic medals including two gold medals in women’s doubles (1992 and 1996) and one bronze medal in women’s singles (1992).

As captain of the U.S. Fed Cup team, Fernandez led the U.S. to consecutive Fed Cup Final appearances in her first two years as captain (2009-10), becoming the first U.S. captain to accomplish that feat since Marty Riessen (1986-87). Prior to captaining the team, Fernandez was a member of the 1996 champion U.S. Fed Cup team and finished with a Fed Cup record of 12-8 in singles play and 4-2 in doubles. She also served as the women’s captain of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in London.

Retiring from play in 2000, Fernandez now serves as an analyst for ESPN and CBS at the Grand Slam events and during the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series. Fernandez, 43, resides in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband Tony Godsick and their two children, Isabella and Nicholas.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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