Lori McNeil (born December 18, 1963, in San Diego,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
) is an African American
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
coach and former professional tennis player from the United States. McNeil was a childhood friend of fellow African American pro
Zina GarrisonZina Lynna Garrison is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games.-Career:An African-American...
. Lori's father, the late Charlie McNeil, played professional football with the San Diego Chargers in the 60's.
McNeil played on the WTA Tour for 19 years from 1983-2002.
Lori McNeil (born December 18, 1963, in San Diego,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
) is an African American
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
coach and former professional tennis player from the United States. McNeil was a childhood friend of fellow African American pro
Zina GarrisonZina Lynna Garrison is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games.-Career:An African-American...
. Lori's father, the late Charlie McNeil, played professional football with the San Diego Chargers in the 60's.
Career
McNeil played on the WTA Tour for 19 years from 1983-2002. During that time she won one Grand Slam mixed doubles title at the French Open in 1988 (partnering
Jorge LozanoJorge Lozano is a retired professional tennis player from from Mexico. On August 22, 1988, he reached his highest doubles ranking of World Number 4. His highest singles ranking was World Number 51. During his career, he won two mixed doubles titles at the French Open: in 1990 with Arantxa Sánchez,...
). She won a total of 10 singles and 33 doubles titles during her career. Her career-high world rankings were World No. 9 in singles (in 1988), and World No. 4 in doubles (in 1987).
McNeil is perhaps best remembered for her results against
Steffi GrafStefanie Maria Graf is a former World No. 1 female tennis player from Germany.Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
. In 1992, McNeil defeated Graf 7–5 6–4 in the first round of the
WTA Tour ChampionshipsThe WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The event's current sponsored name is the Sony Ericsson Championships....
, marking the first time since 1985 that Graf had lost in the opening round of a tournament. Then, in 1994, McNeil beat Graf 7–5 7–6 (7–5) in the first round at
WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877...
, marking first time in Grand Slam history that a defending-champion suffered a first round loss. That year, McNeil went on to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon before losing to eventual-champion
Conchita MartínezInmaculada 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...
6–3, 2–6, 8-10. This equalled McNeil's best-ever Grand Slam singles performance - she also reached the semi-finals at the
U.S. OpenThe US Open, formally the United States Open tennis championships, is a tennis tournament which is the modern incarnation of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, with the U.S. National Championship, which for mens' singles was first contested in 1881...
in 1987 (after defeating six-time champion
Chris EvertChristine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. According to the Women's Tennis...
in the quarterfinals) where she lost to Graf 6–4, 2–6, 4–6.
Doubles: 1 (0 titles, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome |
Year |
Championship |
Surface |
Partner |
Opponents in the final |
Score in the final |
| Runner-up |
1987 |
Australian OpenThe Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The tournament is held each January at Melbourne Park. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was contested on grass from then up to 1987. Since 1988, the tournament has been held on hard...
|
Grass |
USA Zina Garrison Zina Lynna Garrison is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games.-Career:An African-American...
|
USA Martina NavratilovaMartina Navrátilová is a Czech-American tennis player. A former World No. 1...
USA Pam ShriverPamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and current sports broadcaster from the United States. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and 1 mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments...
|
6–1, 6–0 |
Mixed Doubles: 4 (1 title, 3 runner-ups)
| Outcome |
Year |
Championship |
Surface |
Partner |
Opponents in the final |
Score in the final |
| Runner-up |
1987 |
French Open |
Clay |
USA Sherwood Stewart Sherwood Stewart played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s.Born June 6, 1946, in Goose Creek, Texas, Stewart was ranked as high as No. 60 in the world in singles on the ATP Rankings and No...
|
USA Pam Shriver Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and current sports broadcaster from the United States. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and 1 mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments...
ESP Emilio SánchezEmilio Angel Sánchez Vicario is a retired professional tennis player from Spain. He won five Grand Slam men's doubles titles and the men's doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games.-Playing career:...
|
6–3, 7–6(4) |
| Winner |
1988 |
French Open |
Clay |
MEX Jorge Lozano Jorge Lozano is a retired professional tennis player from from Mexico. On August 22, 1988, he reached his highest doubles ranking of World Number 4. His highest singles ranking was World Number 51. During his career, he won two mixed doubles titles at the French Open: in 1990 with Arantxa Sánchez,...
|
NED Brenda Schultz Brenda Anne Marie Schultz-McCarthy is a Dutch tennis player. She is married to Sean McCarthy, a former American football player at University of Cincinnati. Schultz is known for her fast serve, holding the record for the fastest serve in qualifying rounds in the WTA tour...
NED Michiel SchapersMichiel Schapers is a former tennis player from The Netherlands, who turned professional in 1982. He represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where he was defeated in quarter finals by eventual winner Miloslav Mecir of Slovakia...
|
7–5, 6–2 |
| Runner-up |
1992 |
French Open |
Clay |
USA Bryan SheltonBryan Shelton is a former tennis player from the United States who played collegiately for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 1985 to 1988 and professionally from 1989 to 1997. He subsequently returned to his alma mater to coach women's tennis...
|
ESP Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Aránzazu Arantxa Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...
AUS Mark WoodfordeMark Woodforde is a retired professional tennis player from Australia. He is most famously remembered as one half of "The Woodies", a doubles partnership with Todd Woodbridge....
|
6–2, 6–3 |
| Runner-up |
1994 |
WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877...
|
Grass |
USA T.J. Middleton T.J. Middleton is a former professional tennis player from the United States. Middleton attended the University of Georgia where he helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1987 National Championship. He was the 1990 SEC Doubles Champion. He is a member of the Delta Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity...
|
CZE Helena Suková Helena Suková is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. During her career, she won 14 Grand Slam titles, 9 of them in women's doubles and 5 of them in mixed doubles...
AUS Todd WoodbridgeTodd Andrew Woodbridge is an Australian former professional tennis player. He turned professional in 1988.- Career :...
|
3–6, 7–5, 6–3 |
Singles (10)
| Legend |
| Tier II (1) |
| Tier III (2) |
| Tier IV & V (5) |
| VS (2) |
|
| Titles by Surface |
| Hard (4) |
| Clay (0) |
| Grass (4) |
| Carpet (2) |
|
| No. |
Date |
Tournament |
Surface |
Opponent in Final |
Score in Final |
| 1. |
September 21, 1986 |
Tampa, USA |
Hard |
USA Zina Garrison Zina Lynna Garrison is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games.-Career:An African-American...
|
2–6, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 2. |
September 28, 1986 |
Tulsa, USA |
Hard |
USA Beth Herr Beth Herr is an American tennis player. She became the number 1 junior tennis player in the world at age 16. She was the #1 college recruit in 1985 and went on to play for the University of Southern California where she won the NCAA singles title and team title in her freshman year...
|
6–0, 6–1 |
| 3. |
February 28, 1988 |
Oklahoma City, USA The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup are tennis tournaments held in Memphis, Tennessee. The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships is a men's ATP Tour event that has been held since 1976. In previous years it has been known as the U.S. Indoor Championships, the Kroger St....
|
Carpet (I) |
NED Brenda Schultz Brenda Anne Marie Schultz-McCarthy is a Dutch tennis player. She is married to Sean McCarthy, a former American football player at University of Cincinnati. Schultz is known for her fast serve, holding the record for the fastest serve in qualifying rounds in the WTA tour...
|
6–3, 6–2 |
| 4. |
July 17, 1988 |
Newport, USA |
Grass |
USA Barbara Potter Barbara Potter is a former tennis player from the United States, who competed professionally on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, winning six singles titles and eight doubles titles....
|
6–4, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 5. |
August 20, 1989 |
Albuquerque, USA The Virginia Slims of Alberquerque was a WTA Tour event held annually in August from 1989 through 1991. The tournament was held on outdoor hard courts and was a Tier IV event.-Singles:-Doubles:...
|
Hard |
RSA Elna Reinach Elna Reinach is South African former pro tennis player.With Patrick Galbraith, she won the US Open mixed doubles championship in 1994. She played in the 1992 Summer Olympics, where she lost in the first round to Jennifer Capriati. Reinach was runner-up at the French Open with Danie Visser in 1993...
|
6–1, 6–3 |
| 6. |
February 17, 1991 |
Denver, USA The VS of Denver is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1972 to 1991. It was held in Denver, Colorado in the United States and played on indoor hard courts from 1972 to 1984 and on indoor carpet courts from 1985 to 1991....
|
Carpet (I) |
NED Manon Bollegraf Manon Maria Bollegraf is a former professional female tennis player from the Netherlands, who finished fourth in women's doubles at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-History:...
|
6–3, 6–4 |
| 7. |
April 14, 1991 |
Tokyo, Japan (Japan Open) The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...
|
Hard |
BEL Sabine Appelmans Sabine Appelmans is a former tennis player from Belgium.-Career:Appelmans started playing at the neighbour's court at the age of seven. Her first trainer, Fred Debruyn, saw immediately that she was very talented. Although right-handed, she played left-handed...
|
2–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 8. |
June 21, 1992 |
Eastbourne, UK |
Grass |
USA Linda Harvey Wild Linda Harvey Wild is a retired professional tennis player from the United States. Wild turned pro in 1989. In the first round of her first tournament as a pro, in February, 1990 in her hometown of Chicago, she defeated then fifth-ranked Arantxa Sanchez Vicario...
|
6–4, 6–4 |
| 9. |
June 13, 1993 |
Birmingham, UK |
Grass |
USA Zina Garrison |
6–4, 2–6, 6–3 |
| 10. |
June 12, 1994 |
Birmingham, UK |
Grass |
USA Zina Garrison |
6-2, 6-2 6–2, 6–2 |
Doubles (33)
- 1983: Bakersfield (with Kylie Copeland)
- 1985: Brighton (with Catherine Suire
Catherine Suire is a former tennis player from France, who competed as a lucky loser for her native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. She won eight doubles titles in her professional career, and reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on May 14, 1984, when she became the...
)
- 1986: Indianapolis VS of Indianapolis (with Zina Garrison
Zina Lynna Garrison is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games.-Career:An African-American...
)
- 1986: San Juan (with Mercedes Paz
Mercedes María Paz is a former professional tennis player from Argentina, who won three singles titles during her career on the WTA Tour. The right-hander reached her highest career ranking on April 29 1991, when she became the number 28 of the world...
)
- 1986: Buenos Aires (with Mercedes Paz)
- 1987: Piscataway (with Gigi Fernández
Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández is a former professional Puerto Rican tennis player, the first female Puerto Rican athlete to turn professional and the first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal...
)
- 1987: Newport (with Gigi Fernández)
- 1987: Toronto (with Zina Garrison)
- 1987: Mahwah (with Gigi Fernández)
- 1987: New Orleans (with Zina Garrison)
- 1988: Dallas (with Eva Pfaff
Eva Pfaff is a former German tennis player.During her career she won 5 doubles WTA titles. Her peak world rankings in the sport were 17th in singles and 16th in doubles .-External links:...
)
- 1988: San Antonio (with Helena Suková
Helena Suková is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. During her career, she won 14 Grand Slam titles, 9 of them in women's doubles and 5 of them in mixed doubles...
)
- 1988: Hilton Head (with Martina Navratilova
Martina Navrátilová is a Czech-American tennis player. A former World No. 1...
)
- 1988: Brighton (with Betsy Nagelsen
Betsy Nagelsen McCormack is a retired professional tennis player from the United States. Nagelsen won the doubles championship at the 1978 and 1980 Australian Opens . She reached the singles final of the 1978 Australian Open, losing to Christine O'Neil...
)
- 1988: Chicago (with Betsy Nagelsen)
- 1989: Oklahoma City (with Betsy Nagelsen)
- 1989: Geneva (with Katrina Adams
Katrina Adams is a former professional United States tennis player from Chicago. Her highest singles ranking was 67 on May 8 1989.-Early life:Adams joined a tennis program in West Side, Chicago when she was six years old...
)
- 1989: Newport (with Helena Suková)
- 1989: Brighton (with Katrina Adams)
- 1989: Indianapolis VS of Indianapolis (with Katrina Adams)
- 1991: Strasbourg (with Stephanie Rehe
Stephanie Rehe is a retired American professional tennis player.A successful amateur player, Rehe was ranked No. 1 in every age group as a junior . She was the first player to receive a dual No...
)
- 1991: Milan (with Sandy Collins)
- 1992: Oklahoma City (with Nicole Provis
Nicole Bradtke is a retired professional tennis player from Australia.Bradtke won three singles and nine doubles on the WTA Tour in her career. She reached the semifinals of the 1988 French Open, and won a bronze medal in doubles at the 1992 Summer Olympics, partnering Rachel McQuillan...
)
- 1992: Birmingham (with Rennae Stubbs
Rennae Stubbs is an Australian professional female tennis player. She has won several Grand Slam doubles titles and represented Australia at three successive Olympic Games....
)
- 1992: Montreal (with Rennae Stubbs)
- 1993: Birmingham (with Martinva Navratilova)
- 1994: Hilton Head (with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Aránzazu Arantxa Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...
)
- 1994: Strasbourg (with Rennae Stubbs)
- 1995: Oakland (with Helena Suková)
- 1995: Philadelphia (with Helena Suková)
- 1998: Quebec City (with Kimberly Po
Kimberly Po-Messerli is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2000...
)
- 2001: Oklahoma City (with Amanda Coetzer
Amanda Coetzer is the most accomplished female professional tennis player from South Africa.Coetzer turned professional in 1988 and retired in 2004...
)
- 2001: Bahia (with Amanda Coetzer)
Singles runner-ups (11)
- 1986: Oklahoma City (lost to Marcella Mesker
Marcella Mesker is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands. She was active on the WTA tour from 1979 to 1988 and reached the final of the Australian Open Women's Doubles in 1979. She also reached the semi finals of the U.S. Open Women's Doubles in 1984. She won a singles title...
)
- 1986: Newport (lost to Pam Shriver
Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and current sports broadcaster from the United States. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and 1 mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments...
)
- 1987: Oklahoma City (lost to Elizabeth Sayers Smylie
Elizabeth Sayers Smylie is an Australian former tennis player.She won the Western Australian Sports Star of the Year award in 1985.She won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1990 and 1993....
)
- 1987: Piscataway (lost to Helena Suková
Helena Suková is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. During her career, she won 14 Grand Slam titles, 9 of them in women's doubles and 5 of them in mixed doubles...
)
- 1987: New Orleans (lost to Chris Evert
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. According to the Women's Tennis...
)
- 1988: Geneva (lost to Barbara Paulus
Barbara Paulus is a former professional female tennis player from Austria. She began playing on the WTA Tour in 1986 and retired in 2001. During her career she won a total of seven WTA tournaments...
)
- 1989: Tokyo Pan Pacific (lost to Martina Navratilova
Martina Navrátilová is a Czech-American tennis player. A former World No. 1...
)
- 1991: Westchester (lost to Isabelle Demongeot
Isabelle Demongeot is a former professional tennis player from France, who turned professional on May 1, 1983. She lived in Saint-Tropez in the French Riviera in the early stages of her career and later settled down further south in Gassin.Demongeot won her only WTA Tour singles title in Purchase...
)
- 1992: Oklahoma City (lost to Zina Garrison
Zina Lynna Garrison is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During her career, she was a women's singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, and a women's doubles gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games.-Career:An African-American...
)
- 1995: Birmingham (lost to Zina Garrison)
- 1995: Philadelphia (lost to Steffi Graf
Stefanie Maria Graf is a former World No. 1 female tennis player from Germany.Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
)