Zina GARRISON

Zina Garrison played professional tennis from 1982-97, earning a career high world ranking of #4 in November 1989. Garrison won 14 singles titles during her career. She made the finals at Wimbledon in 1990, and the semi-finals of the US Open in 1988 and 1989. Garrison also played doubles, winning 20 career titles, with a career high world ranking of #5, which she reached in May 1988. She made the doubles finals twice at the Australian Open. Garrison played at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, winning gold in women’s doubles in 1988 (with Pam Shriver) and a bronze that year in women’s singles.

Garrison was the first great African-American female tennis player after Althea Gibson left the scene in the later 1950s. After leaving the tour she founded the Zina Garrison Foundation for the Homeless in 1988 and started the Zina Garrison All-Court Tennis Program in 1992, which supports inner-city tennis in Houston. She also captained the US Federation Cup team in the early 2000s and served as coach of the US women’s team at the 2008 Olympics. Garrison has also been a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.