Zina Garrison graduated from Sterling High School in Houston, TX. She started playing tennis at the age of 10 and entered her first tournament at the age of 12. Her success as a junior player quickly made the tennis world take notice. At the age of 14, she won the national girls’ 18s title. And then in 1981, she won both the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles and was ranked the World No. 1 junior player.
Garrison turned professional in 1982 and competed in the French Open, her first tournament as a professional, where she reached the quarterfinals. Garrison enjoyed notable success on-court. She reached the Australian Open semifinals in her first full year on the tour – 1983 – and finished the year ranked World No. 10. She won her first top-level singles titles in 1984 at the European Indoor Championships in Zürich. She was a Wimbledon semifinalist in 1985, and in 1986, she won her first tour doubles at the Canadian Open (partnering Gabriela Sabatini).
The highlight of Garrison’s career came in 1990 at Wimbledon. She defeated French Open champion Monica Seles in the quarterfinals and the defending Wimbledon champion and World No. 1 Steffi Graf in the semifinals to reach the Grand Slam singles final, becoming the first African-American woman to do so since Althea Gibson. During her career, she won 14 top-level singles titles and 20 doubles titles.
Since retiring from tennis, Garrison has stayed an influence, having worked as a television commentator and maintaining active roles in the community and in the tennis world. Garrison has maintained a presence on the professional tennis scene, and was the captain for the U.S. Federation Cup team. She also led the U.S. women’s team at the 2008 Beijing Games tennis event.
Garrison is the founder and CEO of the Zina Garrison Academy, a nonprofit organization that provides a free year-round tennis/fitness and education program for children ages 4 – 18 in Houston, Texas. The mission of academy is to develop stars in the classroom, on the tennis court, and in the community by providing educational support, positive role models, parent education, and excellent tennis instruction. The Zina Garrison Academy continues to reevaluate itself and change to provide the best possible tennis and education program in the Houston area.
Garrison has served as a member of the United States President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Zina Garrison
Founder & CEO
Zina Garrison Foundation
Former 4th-Ranked Tennis Player in the World
281-778-5441
Zina@zinagarrison.org
www.zinagarrison.org
