Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen
Encyclopedia
Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen (born September 14, 1968) is a former American women's professional tennis
player, who is considered to be perhaps the greatest player to ever come out of Minnesota
. She reached her highest singles ranking on January 2, 1995, when she became the No. 29 in the world. In doubles, she reached No. 38 in the world on January 9.
, before moving to Edina
after seventh grade. She was coached by her brother, Brace, throughout juniors and high school. She attended Edina High School
and became a three-time consecutive Minnesota state singles champion, and was ranked No. 1 by the USTA
Northern at all levels.
Helgeson-Nielsen then received a scholarship to attend Pepperdine University
in Malibu, California. Whilst there, she was a four-year letter winner and a three-time All American, and holds the all-time best career winning percentage.
She played professionally from 1987, spending her first few years on the ITF Women's Circuit
. Her best season was in 1994, winning her first WTA title in Auckland
and reaching the fourth round of the Australian and U.S. Opens. At the latter event, she beat reigning Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez
for her biggest career victory. Her ranking hit the top 30 as a result of her breakthrough season. She reached the final of Auckland again in 1995, but an injury (wrist tendinitis) at a tournament in Amelia Island
put her out for the rest of the 1995 season. She returned in March 1996, but failed to make it back into the top 100. She played her last match at the U.S. Open qualifying tournament in 1998, where she lost in the second round.
In addition to her win over Martínez, she also recorded victories over Helena Suková
, Mary Joe Fernández
, Gigi Fernández
, Anke Huber
, Lori McNeil
, Sabine Appelmans
, Sabine Hack
and Natasha Zvereva
.
In 2009, she was inducted into the USTA Northern Hall of Fame, having already been inducted into the Pepperdine Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Helgeson-Nielsen now lives in Alpine, California
, with her husband Todd Nielsen, who she married in September 1994, and her two children. She works as a part-time teaching professional.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player, who is considered to be perhaps the greatest player to ever come out of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. She reached her highest singles ranking on January 2, 1995, when she became the No. 29 in the world. In doubles, she reached No. 38 in the world on January 9.
Tennis career
Helgeson-Nielsen was born in St. Cloud, MinnesotaSt. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
, before moving to Edina
Edina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
after seventh grade. She was coached by her brother, Brace, throughout juniors and high school. She attended Edina High School
Edina High School
Edina High School is a three-year public high school located in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The school was founded in 1949 and is the main high school in the Edina School District....
and became a three-time consecutive Minnesota state singles champion, and was ranked No. 1 by the USTA
United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
Northern at all levels.
Helgeson-Nielsen then received a scholarship to attend Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
in Malibu, California. Whilst there, she was a four-year letter winner and a three-time All American, and holds the all-time best career winning percentage.
She played professionally from 1987, spending her first few years on the ITF Women's Circuit
ITF Women's Circuit
The ITF Women's Circuit is a series of professional tennis tournaments run by the International Tennis Federation for female professional tennis players. It serves as the developmental circuit for the WTA Tour, which is run by the independent Women's Tennis Association...
. Her best season was in 1994, winning her first WTA title in Auckland
ASB Classic
The ASB Classic is a tennis tournament held in Auckland, New Zealand. Held since 1986, this WTA Tour event is an International series tournament and is played on outdoor hardcourts during the first week of the year....
and reaching the fourth round of the Australian and U.S. Opens. At the latter event, she beat reigning Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez
Conchita Martínez
Inmaculada Concepción Martínez Bernat is a former professional tennis player from Monzón, Aragón, Spain. She is the only Spanish woman to have won the singles title at Wimbledon, when she beat Martina Navrátilová in the 1994 Women's Singles. She also was the singles runner-up at the 1998...
for her biggest career victory. Her ranking hit the top 30 as a result of her breakthrough season. She reached the final of Auckland again in 1995, but an injury (wrist tendinitis) at a tournament in Amelia Island
Bausch & Lomb Championships
The MPS Group Championships was a women's tennis tournament held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event was an International series tournament played on outdoor green clay courts from 1980 to 2010.-History:...
put her out for the rest of the 1995 season. She returned in March 1996, but failed to make it back into the top 100. She played her last match at the U.S. Open qualifying tournament in 1998, where she lost in the second round.
In addition to her win over Martínez, she also recorded victories over Helena Suková
Helena Suková
Helena Suková is a former professional tennis player from Czechia. During her career, she won 14 Grand Slam titles, 9 of them in women's doubles and 5 of them in mixed doubles...
, Mary Joe Fernández
Mary Joe Fernández
Mary Joe Fernández Godsick is an American former professional tennis player...
, Gigi Fernández
Gigi Fernández
Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández is a former professional tennis player, the first female athlete from her native Puerto Rico to turn professional, the first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal and the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.Fernandez won 17 Grand...
, Anke Huber
Anke Huber
Anke Huber is a German retired professional tennis player. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1996 Australian Open. Her career-high singles ranking was fourth, also in 1996.-Early life:...
, Lori McNeil
Lori McNeil
Lori McNeil is an African American tennis coach and former professional tennis player from the United States. McNeil was a childhood friend of fellow African American pro Zina Garrison...
, Sabine Appelmans
Sabine Appelmans
Sabine Appelmans is a former tennis player from Belgium, and was Belgium's Fed Cup captain from 2007 until 2011.-Career:...
, Sabine Hack
Sabine Hack
Sabine Hack is a former professional tennis player from Germany. She began her career on the WTA Tour in 1983. She won four singles and one doubles titles in her career. Her best Grand Slam performance was reaching the quarterfinals at the 1994 French Open. Hack reached a career-high ranking of...
and Natasha Zvereva
Natasha Zvereva
Natalya "Natasha" Zvereva, or Zverava is a former tennis player from Belarus. Zvereva was the first major athlete in the Soviet Union to demand publicly that she should be able to keep her tournament earnings...
.
In 2009, she was inducted into the USTA Northern Hall of Fame, having already been inducted into the Pepperdine Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Helgeson-Nielsen now lives in Alpine, California
Alpine, California
Alpine is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Alpine had a population of 14,236 at the 2010 census, up from 13,143 at the 2000 census.Alpine is the residence of former United States Representative Duncan Hunter...
, with her husband Todd Nielsen, who she married in September 1994, and her two children. She works as a part-time teaching professional.