Meredith McGrath (born April 28, 1971) is a former professional tennis player.

Meredith McGrath
Country (sports) United States
Born (1971-04-28) April 28, 1971 (age 53)
Midland, Michigan
PlaysRight-handed
Prize money$1,448,132
Singles
Career record130–98
Career titles3
Highest rankingNo. 18 (July 22, 1996)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open2R (1994)
French Open2R (1995)
WimbledonSF (1996)
US Open2R (1993, 1994)
Doubles
Career record255–84
Career titles25
Highest rankingNo. 5 (October 10, 1994)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenF (1994)
French OpenSF (1996)
WimbledonF (1996)
US OpenQF (1994)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian OpenQF (1996)
French OpenSF (1994)
WimbledonQF (1994)
US OpenW (1995)

She was born in Midland, Michigan, and made her debut on the WTA Tour in 1988. In her eight-year professional career, Meredith achieved career-high world rankings of No. 18 in singles and No. 4 in doubles. She notched victories over such players as Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova, Jana Novotna, Gigi Fernandez and Mary Jo Fernandez. The pinnacle of her career came in reaching the singles semifinals and doubles finals at the 1996 Wimbledon Championships (leading 7–5, 5–2 in the doubles final before losing to Suková/Hingis). In the singles, she defeated Mana Endo, Amanda Coetzer, Nancy Feber, Katarína Studeníková and Mary Joe Fernandez before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. An injury two weeks prior to the 1996 Wimbledon Championships eventually ended her career. Meredith won the 1995 US Open Mixed-Doubles Championship (she was runner-up in 1989) and was the runner-up in the 1994 Australian Open Doubles Championship. Meredith won three WTA singles titles, Oklahoma City and Eastbourne in 1994 and Birmingham in 1996, and 25 doubles titles. Meredith was recognized by Tennis Magazine as the WTA Comeback Player of the Year as she overcame near career-ending injuries to having her most successful competitive season in 1996. In 1994, she was awarded the WTA Tour Comeback Player of the Year.

Meredith played her collegiate tennis at Stanford University where she, during her only collegiate season, earned All-American honors in both singles and doubles after having achieved year-end rankings of No. 2 in singles and No. 1 in doubles (undefeated). She had maintained No. 1 rankings in both singles and doubles during her freshman year until a loss at the NCAA Championships. Meredith turned professional after her freshman year, but returned to Stanford to earn her degree in 2000 after injuries forced her early retirement. In 1990, Meredith was awarded the Block S Award for the Most Outstanding Freshman Athlete at Stanford and with her doubles partner, Teri Whitlinger, was named the Volvo Tennis/Tennis Magazine Doubles Team of the Year.

Meredith McGrath is also a 2012 inductee into the prestigious Stanford Hall of Fame. She is also a member of the USTA Midwest Hall of Fame and the USTA NorCal Hall of Fame.

As the No. 1 ranked junior player in the world, McGrath won a total of 19 national and international junior titles. She captured the US Open junior doubles title and Wimbledon junior doubles title with Jennifer Capriati in 1989, and won the US Open junior doubles title with Kimberly Po in 1987 and 1988. Meredith was the runner-up in the 1988 Wimbledon junior singles championship. A three-time national All-American in high school, Meredith won three Michigan High School Division A State Championships. She also received six USTA National Championship Sportsmanship Awards.

WTA career finals

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Singles: 3 (3 titles)

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Legend
Grand Slam 0
Tier I 0
Tier II 1
Tier III 2
Tier IV & V 0
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1. Feb 1994 Oklahoma City, U.S. Hard   Brenda Schultz 7–6(6), 7–6(4)
Win 2. Jun 1994 Eastbourne, England Grass   Linda Harvey-Wild 6–2, 6–4
Win 3. Jun 1996 Birmingham, England Grass   Nathalie Tauziat 2–6, 6–4, 6–4

Doubles: 38 (25 titles, 13 runner-ups)

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Legend
Grand Slam 0
Tier I 2
Tier II 11
Tier III 6
Tier IV & V 6
Titles by surface
Hard 13
Clay 2
Grass 0
Carpet 10
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. Jun 1989 Birmingham, England Grass   Pam Shriver   Larisa Savchenko
  Natalia Zvereva
5–7, 7–5, 0–6
Win 2. Nov 1989 Nashville, U.S. Hard   Manon Bollegraf   Natalia Medvedeva
  Leila Meskhi
1–6, 7–6, 7–6
Win 3. Feb 1990 Wichita, U.S. Hard (i)   Manon Bollegraf   Mary-Lou Daniels
  Wendy Prausa
6–0, 6–2
Win 4. Aug 1990 Albuquerque, U.S. Hard   Anne Smith   Mareen Louie-Harper
  Wendy Prausa
7–6, 6–4
Loss 5. Sep 1990 Orlando, U.S. Carpet (i)   Manon Bollegraf   Larisa Savchenko
  Natalia Zvereva
4–6, 1–6
Win 6. Nov 1990 Oakland, U.S. Carpet (i)   Anne Smith   Rosalyn Fairbank-Nideffer
  Robin White
2–6, 6–0, 6–4
Win 7. Nov 1990 Oakland, U.S. Hard   Patty Fendick   Katrina Adams
  Jill Hetherington
6–1, 6–1
Win 8. Feb 1991 Oklahoma City, U.S. Hard (i)   Anne Smith   Katrina Adams
  Jill Hetherington
6–1, 6–1
Loss 9. Mar 1991 Boca Raton, U.S. Hard   Samantha Smith   Larisa Savchenko-Neiland
  Natalia Zvereva
4–6, 6–7
Loss 10. Apr 1993 Pattaya City, Thailand Hard   Patty Fendick   Cammy Macgregor
  Catherine Suire
3–6, 6–7
Win 11. Apr 1993 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Hard   Patty Fendick   Nicole Arendt
  Kristine Radford
6–4, 7–6
Win 12. Oct 1993 Montpellier, France Carpet (i)   Claudia Porwik   Janette Husárová
  Dominique Monami
3–6, 6–2, 7–6
Win 13. Nov 1993 Oakland, U.S. Carpet (i)   Patty Fendick   Amanda Coetzer
  Inés Gorrochategui
6–2, 6–0
Win 14. Jan 1994 Sydney, Australia Hard   Patty Fendick   Jana Novotná
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
6–2, 6–3
Loss 15. Jan 1994 Australian Open Hard   Patty Fendick   Gigi Fernández
  Natalia Zvereva
3–6, 6–4, 4–6
Win 16. Feb 1994 Oklahoma City, U.S. Hard (i)   Patty Fendick   Katrina Adams
  Manon Bollegraf
7–6, 6–2
Loss 17. Mar 1994 Key Biscayne, U.S. Hard   Patty Fendick   Gigi Fernández
  Natalia Zvereva
3–6, 1–6
Win 18. Apr 1994 Pattaya City, Thailand Hard   Patty Fendick   Yayuk Basuki
  Nana Miyagi
7–6, 3–6, 6–3
Win 19. Apr 1994 Singapore Hard   Patty Fendick   Nicole Arendt
  Kristine Radford
6–4, 6–1
Win 20. Aug 1994 Rogers Cup, Canada Hard   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario   Pam Shriver
  Liz Smylie
2–6, 6–2, 6–4
Win 21. Aug 1994 Schenectady, U.S. Hard   Larisa Savchenko   Pam Shriver
  Liz Smylie
6–2, 6–2
Win 22. Oct 1994 Leipzig, Germany Carpet (i)   Patty Fendick   Manon Bollegraf
  Larisa Savchenko
6–4, 6–4
Loss 23. Oct 1994 Zurich, Switzerland Carpet (i)   Patty Fendick   Manon Bollegraf
  Martina Navratilova
6–7, 1–6
Win 24. Feb 1995 Paris, France Hard (i)   Larisa Savchenko   Manon Bollegraf
  Rennae Stubbs
6–4, 6–1
Win 25. Feb 1995 Generali Ladies Linz, Austria Carpet (i)   Nathalie Tauziat   Iva Majoli
  Petra Schwarz
6–1, 6–2
Win 26. May 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland Clay   Larisa Savchenko   Manon Bollegraf
  Rennae Stubbs
6–2, 7–6
Win 27. Sep 1995 Moscow, Russia Carpet (i)   Larisa Savchenko   Anna Kournikova
  Aleksandra Olsza
6–1, 6–1
Win 28. Oct 1995 Leipzig, Germany Carpet (i)   Larisa Savchenko   Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
  Caroline Vis
6–4, 6–4
Loss 29. Oct 1995 Filderstadt, Germany Hard (i)   Larisa Savchenko   Gigi Fernández
  Natalia Zvereva
7–5, 1–6, 4–6
Win 30. Oct 1995 Brighton, England Carpet (i)   Larisa Savchenko   Lori McNeil
  Helena Suková
7–5, 6–1
Loss 31. Nov 1995 Philadelphia, U.S. Carpet (i)   Larisa Savchenko   Lori McNeil
  Helena Suková
6–4, 3–6, 4–6
Win 32. Feb 1996 Essen, Germany Carpet (i)   Larisa Savchenko   Lori McNeil
  Helena Suková
6–4, 3–6, 4–6
Win 33. Mar 1996 Generali Ladies Linz, Austria Carpet (i)   Manon Bollegraf   Rennae Stubbs
  Helena Suková
6–4, 6–4
Loss 34. Mar 1996 Key Biscayne, U.S. Hard   Larisa Savchenko   Jana Novotná
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
4–6, 4–6
Loss 35. Apr 1996 Amelia Island, U.S. Clay   Larisa Savchenko   Chanda Rubin
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
4–6, 4–6
Win 36. May 1996 Berlin, Germany Clay   Larisa Savchenko   Martina Hingis
  Helena Suková
6–1, 5–7, 7–6
Loss 37. Jul 1996 Wimbledon, England Grass   Larisa Savchenko   Martina Hingis
  Helena Suková
7–5, 5–7, 1–6
Loss 38. Jan 1998 Sydney, Australia Hard   Katrina Adams   Martina Hingis
  Helena Suková
1–6, 2–6

Mixed doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

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Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. September 10, 1989 US Open Hard   Rick Leach   Shelby Cannon
  Robin White
6–3, 2–6, 5–7
Win 2. September 10, 1995 US Open Hard   Matt Lucena   Cyril Suk
  Gigi Fernández
6–4, 6–4

ITF finals

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Singles (1–3)

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$75,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1. 18 July 1988 Fayetteville, United States Hard   Tammy Whittington 6–0, 6–3
Runner-up 2. 6 February 1989 Midland, United States Hard   Shaun Stafford 3–6, 3–6
Runner-up 3. 28 January 1991 Midland, United States Hard   Helen Kelesi 2–6, 2–6
Runner-up 4. 6 February 1994 Midland, United States Hard   Brenda Schultz-McCarthy 2–6, 0–1 ret.

Doubles (2–3)

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Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. 6 February 1989 Midland, United States Hard   Shaun Stafford   Kim Il-soon
  Lee Jeong-myung
6–2, 2–6, 4–6
Runner-up 2. 28 January 1991 Midland, United States Hard   Anne Smith   Katrina Adams
  Helen Kelesi
5–7, 5–7
Winner 3. 27 January 1992 Midland, United States Hard   Manon Bollegraf   Helen Kelesi
  Caroline Vis
6–3, 6–1
Winner 4. 1 February 1993 Midland, United States Hard   Patty Fendick   Jean Ceniza
  Caroline Delisle
7–6(5), 6–2
Runner-up 5. 27 October 1997 Austin, United States Hard   Debbie Graham   Park Sung-hee
  Miho Saeki
4–6, 7–5, 2–6

Grand Slam doubles performance timeline

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 SR W–L
Australian Open A A A A A A F 3R SF A 1R 0 / 4 11–4
French Open A A A QF A 1R 3R 3R SF A A 0 / 5 11–5
Wimbledon A 1R 2R A A 2R 3R SF F A A 0 / 6 13–6
US Open 1R 2R 1R A A 3R QF 3R A A A 0 / 6 8–6
Win–loss 0–1 1–2 1–2 3–1 0–0 3–3 12–4 10–4 13–3 0–0 0–1 0 / 21 43–21
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