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Mary Pierce

Two Grand Slam Singles Titles



Pierce's break from her father proved to be a turning point in her career. In 1994 she reached the quarter finals of the U.S. Open and the finals of the French Open. In 1995 she won her first Grand Slam tournament by beating Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, 6-3, 6-2, in the Australian Open. Feeling the pressure from fans to continue winning, Pierce's game slumped for the remainder of the year and into 1996. By 1997 she was back on track, reaching the finals of Australian Open and the fourth round in the U.S. Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. In 1998 she was once again in the top ten, with a No. 6 ranking.



Chronology

1975 Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
1985 Begins to play tennis at the age of 10
1987 Withdraws from school to travel to tournaments; ranked No. 2 in the United States among 12-and-under girls
1989 Turns professional soon after her fourteenth birthday
1990 Moves to France after the United States Tennis Association (USTA) withdraws its financial support
1990-92 Plays with French Federation Cup Team
1991 Wins first professional tournament in Palermo, Italy
1992 Competes in Olympic Summer Games for France; Pierce's father punches two fans at the French Open
1993 Pierce's father is banned from attending tournaments; Pierce fires her father as her coach; hires body guards and seeks restraining orders
1994-97 Plays with French Federation Cup Team
1995 Wins first Grand Slam, the Australian Open; attains No. 3 ranking (January 30-June 11; July 31-August 6)
1996 Competes in Olympic Summer Games for France
2000 Wins second Grand Slam, the French Open; regains No. 3 ranking (June 12-July 9)
2001 Withdraws from matches due to injury
2002 Returns to tour; reaches quarterfinals of the French Open

Awards and Accomplishments

1994 Reaches final of French Open
1995 Wins Australian Open
1997 Wins Italian Open
2000 Wins French Open, singles and doubles
2002 Wins Sanex Fans Award as most natural and nicest player at the French Open

Pierce won the French Open in 2000, giving her a second Grand Slam singles title. Seeded sixth in the tournament, Pierce beat third and first seeds, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis, and then overcame Conchita Martinez, 6-2, 7-5, in the final round. She also won the doubles championship at the 2000 French Open, teaming with Hingis. An injury forced Pierce to sit out much of the 2001 season, but she returned in 2002; her best finish was the quarter finals of the French Open.

In 2001 Pierce forged a partial reconciliation with her father. He sporadically helped her train, but Pierce has yet to ask the WTC to lift the ban on her father's attendance courtside. Pierce has refused to answer questions regarding her father, maintaining that their relationship is a private matter. In November 2001, Pierce ended her engagement to professional baseball player, Roberto Alomar. She lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her two long-haired Chihuahuas, Gilbert and Ginger. Over the course of her dramatic and often melodramatic career, Pierce has earned more than $6 million on the court.

Additional topics

Famous Sports StarsTennisMary Pierce Biography - A Tennis Natural, Father's Effect, The Jim Pierce Rule, Two Grand Slam Singles Titles - CONTACT INFORMATION