Jay Berger
Encyclopedia
Jay Berger is a former professional tennis
player from the United States
. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990.
Boys’ 18s National Champion in 1985.http://ustaboys.com/tournament/past_winners.phphttp://www.ustaclay.com/history.asp. He also won the 1985 Florida State Junior Championship. He had the best finish of any reigning Boys’ 18s National Champion at the US Open during the Open Era when he reached the 4th round in 1985.
in 1985 and 1986, where he recorded a 91–22 singles record in two seasons. His 80.5% career winning percentage in singles play places 3rd all-time at Clemson.
He won his first top-level singles title in 1986 at Buenos Aires
. In 1988, he captured both the singles and doubles titles at São Paulo
. In March he upset world # 2 Mats Wilander
, 6–0, 7–5, in Orlando, Florida. In March 1989 Berger upset world # 3 Boris Becker
, 6–1, 6–1, in Indian Wells
. In May he upset world # 3 Mats Wilander
, 6–3, 6–4, in Rome
. In August Berger beat world # 3 Stefan Edberg
, 6–4, 6–2, at Indianapolis.
In 1989, Berger reached the quarterfinals at both the French Open
and the US Open. He also won the third tour singles title of his career that year at Charleston, South Carolina
. Berger was runner-up at the Canadian Open
in 1990.
He retired from the professional tour in 1991. Chronic knee injuries forced his retirement.
During his career, Berger won three top-level singles titles and one tour doubles title. He registered victories over Becker, Jimmy Connors
, Pete Sampras
, and Wilander.
play in 1988
and 1990
, and went undefeated in two singles matches.
in 1985.
, where he resumed his studies and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Sports Management in 1994. Berger was the Head Men’s and Women’s tennis coach at the University of Miami
, and a USTA National Coach. He was the Big East Coach of the Year for two consecutive years, after leading the Hurricanes to the tennis conference championships in 2000 and 2001.
Berger rejoined the USTA Player Development staff in January 2003 as a National Coach for men's tennis.http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/content/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=122996&itype=7420 He currently coaches Ashley Harkleroad
.
, and have four children: daughter Alexandra, and sons Daniel, Jonathan, and Noah.
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 from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990.
Tennis career
Berger was the USTAUnited 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...
Boys’ 18s National Champion in 1985.http://ustaboys.com/tournament/past_winners.phphttp://www.ustaclay.com/history.asp. He also won the 1985 Florida State Junior Championship. He had the best finish of any reigning Boys’ 18s National Champion at the US Open during the Open Era when he reached the 4th round in 1985.
College career
Berger was an All-American at Clemson UniversityClemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in 1985 and 1986, where he recorded a 91–22 singles record in two seasons. His 80.5% career winning percentage in singles play places 3rd all-time at Clemson.
Pro tennis career
Berger turned professional in 1985. He played on the tour from 1985–91.He won his first top-level singles title in 1986 at Buenos Aires
ATP Buenos Aires
The ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,...
. In 1988, he captured both the singles and doubles titles at São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. In March he upset world # 2 Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
, 6–0, 7–5, in Orlando, Florida. In March 1989 Berger upset world # 3 Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
, 6–1, 6–1, in Indian Wells
Indian Wells Masters
The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
. In May he upset world # 3 Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
, 6–3, 6–4, in Rome
Rome Masters
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's...
. In August Berger beat world # 3 Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
, 6–4, 6–2, at Indianapolis.
In 1989, Berger reached the quarterfinals at both the French Open
1989 French Open
List of the 1989 French Open Champions. For the first time in French Open history the Singles championships were won by two teenagers – Michael Chang and Arantxa Sánchez . Chang still holds the record for youngest ever male Grand Slam singles title winner. He gained many admirers for his audacious...
and the US Open. He also won the third tour singles title of his career that year at Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. Berger was runner-up at the Canadian Open
Canada Masters
The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
in 1990.
He retired from the professional tour in 1991. Chronic knee injuries forced his retirement.
During his career, Berger won three top-level singles titles and one tour doubles title. He registered victories over Becker, Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
, Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
, and Wilander.
Davis Cup
Berger represented the United States in Davis CupDavis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
play in 1988
1988 Davis Cup
The 1988 Davis Cup was the 77th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. For the first time, the Zones were divided into two groups, with promotion and relegation between the two. The Eastern Zone was also renamed the Asia/Oceania Zone. A total of 74...
and 1990
1990 Davis Cup
The 1990 Davis Cup was the 79th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. A total of 84 nations participated in the tournament. In the final, the United States defeated Australia at the Suncoast Dome in St...
, and went undefeated in two singles matches.
Halls of Fame and Awards
Berger was inducted into the Florida Hall of Fame in 1993. He was inducted into the Greater Miami-Dade Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also voted "Sportsman of the Year" by the Olympic Committee in 1985, and "Junior Player of the Year" by TENNIS MagazineTENNIS Magazine
Tennis Magazine is an American sports magazine owned by the Miller Publishing Group, LLC. It is a monthly magazine which covers news from the world of tennis.-History:...
in 1985.
Coaching career
Berger went on to become an assistant coach at Florida International UniversityFlorida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, where he resumed his studies and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Sports Management in 1994. Berger was the Head Men’s and Women’s tennis coach at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, and a USTA National Coach. He was the Big East Coach of the Year for two consecutive years, after leading the Hurricanes to the tennis conference championships in 2000 and 2001.
Berger rejoined the USTA Player Development staff in January 2003 as a National Coach for men's tennis.http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/content/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=122996&itype=7420 He currently coaches Ashley Harkleroad
Ashley Harkleroad
Ashley Harkleroad , is an American tennis player. Born in Rossville, Georgia, Harkleroad reached a career-high ranking of No. 39 on June 9, 2003. Her career prize money to date is $1,022,094...
.
Personal life
He and his wife Nadia reside on Key BiscayneKey Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
, and have four children: daughter Alexandra, and sons Daniel, Jonathan, and Noah.
Singles champion (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | November 10, 1986 | Buenos Aires ATP Buenos Aires The ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
Clay |  Franco DavínFranco Davín Franco Davín is a tennis coach and a former tennis player from Argentina. He currently coaches fellow countryman Juan Martín del Potro, and was the captain of the Argentine Davis Cup team... |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 2. | October 31, 1988 | São Paulo, Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Hard | Horacio de la Peña Horacio de la Peña Horacio de la Peña, born August 1, 1966 and nicknamed "el Pulga" , is a tennis coach and a former tennis player from Argentina, who reached a top singles world rank of 31 during his career.... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 3. | May 8, 1989 | Charleston, USA | Clay |  Duncan LawsonDuncan Lawson Duncan Lawson is a British mathematician. He is professor and associate dean of the faculty of science and engineering at Coventry University and director of the Maths, Stats & OR Networkof the Higher Education Academy... |
6–4, 6–3 |
Singles finalist (4)
- 1987: Buenos AiresATP Buenos AiresThe ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,...
(lost to Guillermo Pérez Roldán) - 1989: Indianapolis (lost to John McEnroeJohn McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
) - 1989: ItaparicaATP ItaparicaKnown by various names, this is a defunct men's tennis tournament that was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit from 1986 to 1989 and the ATP Tour in 1990. The event was held in Itaparica, Brazil and was played on outdoor hard courts....
(lost to Martín JaiteMartín JaiteMartín Jaite is an Argentine right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis player.Jaite's ATP highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.Jaite's playing style leveraged his...
) - 1990: TorontoCanada MastersThe Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
(lost to Michael ChangMichael ChangMichael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17....
)
Doubles champion (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score |
| 2. | October 31, 1988 | São Paulo, Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Hard | Horacio de la Peña Horacio de la Peña Horacio de la Peña, born August 1, 1966 and nicknamed "el Pulga" , is a tennis coach and a former tennis player from Argentina, who reached a top singles world rank of 31 during his career.... |
 Ricardo AcuñaRicardo Acuña Ricardo Acuña is a former tennis player from Chile, who won three doubles titles during his career. The right-hander reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on March 17, 1986, when he reached 47th in the world....  Javier SánchezJavier Sánchez Javier Sánchez Vicario is a former professional tennis player from Spain.Sánchez won the US Open junior title in 1986, and then turned professional. He won his first professional doubles titles in 1987. His first top-level singles title came in 1988 at Buenos Aires. During his career he won a... |
5–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
Doubles finalist (1)
- 1987: Buenos AiresATP Buenos AiresThe ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,...
(with Horacio de la PeñaHoracio de la PeñaHoracio de la Peña, born August 1, 1966 and nicknamed "el Pulga" , is a tennis coach and a former tennis player from Argentina, who reached a top singles world rank of 31 during his career....
, lost to Tomás CarbonellTomas CarbonellTomás Carbonell Lladó is a former professional tennis player from Spain.Carbonell won 2 singles and 22 doubles titles on the ATP Tour in his career. He twice reached the semifinals of the French Open in doubles, in 1999 with Pablo Albano, and in 2000 with Martín García. Carbonell reached his...
/Sergio CasalSergio CasalSergio Casal Martínez is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he won three Grand Slam doubles titles, as well as the men's doubles Silver Medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics....
)