Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández (born February 22, 1964) is a Puerto Rican former professional tennis player. Fernández won 17 major doubles titles and two Olympic gold medals representing the United States, and reached the world No. 1 ranking in doubles. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 17 in 1991. Since retiring from the professional tour in 1997 at the age of 33, Fernández has been a tennis coach, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She combines her two passions, tennis and travel and offers unique tennis experiences to tennis aficionados. Her doubles program, The Gigi Method, teaches players of all levels the art and science of doubles. She founded Tennis for Hope after her house flooded during Hurricane Helene to help people in the tennis community affected by Natural Disasters. Fernández is the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Career Fernández was recognized primarily as a doubles specialist during her professional career. She won a career doubles Grand Slam with 17 Grand Slam women's doubles title – six French Open, five US Open, four Wimbledon, and two Australian Open winning at least one Grand Slam title every year from 1988 to 1997, except 1989, and for three straight years winning three of the four Grand Slam doubles titles in the same year (1992–1994). She won 14 of her 17 Grand Slam titles and three Career Grand Slams partnering Natasha Zvereva; their partnership is the second most successful doubles pair in the Open era after Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.
In mixed doubles, Fernández was the runner-up in three of the four Grand Slam mixed doubles events in 1995 (Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) partnering Cyril Suk. Fernández captured 69 career titles in doubles and reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking in 1991 and attained the No. 1 ranking again in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
Fernández represented the United States at the Olympic Games in 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta). She teamed with Mary Joe Fernández (no relation) to win the women's doubles gold medal on both occasions. The first gold medal was won against the home team of Conchita Martínez and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario with the king and queen of Spain in the audience.
Fernández represented Puerto Rico when San Juan played host to the Pan Am Games in 1979. Just 15, Fernández won a bronze medal. In 1982 at the Central American-Caribbean Games in Cuba, she teamed with Marilda Julia to win doubles gold and won a silver medal in the singles as well. She represented Puerto Rico at the 1984 Olympics.
Fernández was also on the United States team that won the Federation Cup in 1990.
In singles, Fernández reached as high as world No. 17. She also won two top-level titles and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1994 (ranked 99 becoming the lowest-ranked Grand Slam singles semifinalist at Wimbledon) and the quarterfinals at the US Open in 1991 and 1994.
Fernández retired from the professional tour in 1997, and in 1999, she was named Puerto Rico's "Female Athlete of the Century".
On July 12, 2010, Fernández was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame with Zvereva.
Personal life Her parents are Tuto Fernández, a well-known doctor in Puerto Rico, and Beatriz Fernández.according to WTA players guide Her cousin José Ferrer was Puerto Rican actor, Oscar Winner and director. Fernández started playing tennis when she was seven. She studied at the prestigious Academia San José in Guaynabo. When she turned professional in 1983, she became Puerto Rico's first female professional athlete. Before turning professional, she played tennis for one season at Clemson University in 1982–83, where she was singles and doubles All-American and reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association singles final.
Since retiring from the tour, Fernández has worked as a tennis coach. She has coached players including the former world No. 1 doubles player Rennae Stubbs, Lisa Raymond, and Samantha Stosur. She coached Sam Stosur to her first Grand Slam title at the 2005 US Open with Lisa Raymond. She also coached for the Puerto Rican national team and the University of South Florida.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of South Florida in 2003 and later graduated from Rollins College's Crummer School of Business where she earned a Master of Business Administration.
She presently resides in Tampa, Florida, is the mother of twins, Karson Xavier and Madison Jane, and the partner of retired professional golfer and former LPGA and WWE executive Jane Geddes.
Gigi is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, where she has been serving as a board member since 2018.
In January 2025, after her house flooded during Hurricane Helene, she started a not-for-profit foundation called Tennis for Hope. The Foundation helps people in the tennis community affected by natural disasters. It is a member-based organization with over 50 members pledging $500,000 in the year since her house flooded.
Doubles performance timeline
Tournament198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997SRW–LGrand Slam tournamentsAustralian Open1R1R2RNH2RAASFFQFWWFQFSF2 / 1238–10French OpenAAAAQFA2RAWWWWWFW6 / 945–3WimbledonA3RA3R3RQFQFQFFWWWFSFW4 / 1353–9US OpenA2RQFQF3RWQFW3RWSFSFWWF5 / 1457–9Win–loss0–13–34–25–28–49–17–313–218–321–122–122–122–218–321–217 / 48193–31National representationSummer OlympicsNHANot HeldANot HeldGNot HeldGNH2 / 29–0Year-end championshipsWTA FinalsAAAQFAQFQFAFSFWWFSFQF2 / 1013–8WTA 1000 tournaments + formerIndian Wells OpenNot HeldC 4Tier IIASF0 / 12–1Miami OpenNHNo LevelsFFAF2RQFWFAA1 / 725–6Italian OpenNo LevelsC 3AAAAQFWWFQF2 / 515–3Canadian OpenNo LevelsAWAAFAAAAA1 / 27–1Pan Pacific OpenNHNo LevelsCategory 4Tier IISFAWWF2 / 413–2Florida SlimsNHNo LevelsAQFT IIQFATier IINot Held0 / 23–2Charleston OpenNo LevelsAAAQFQFWFFFSF1 / 718–6Berlin OpenNo LevelsAAASFFWWQFAF2 / 617–4Zurich OpenNHNo LevelsC 3C 4Tier IIFAAAA0 / 13–1Philadelphia ChampionshipsNot HeldTier IISFWQFTier II1 / 37–2Career statisticsYear-end ranking17206834612344
Grand Slam tournament finals
Doubles: 23 (17 titles, 6 runner-ups) ResultYearChampionshipPartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1988US Open (1) Robin White Patty Fendick Jill Hetherington6–4, 6–1Win 1990US Open (2) Martina Navratilova Jana Novotná Helena Suková6–2, 6–4Loss 1991Australian Open Jana Novotná Patty Fendick Mary Joe Fernández6–7(4–7), 1–6Win 1991 French Open (1) Jana Novotná Larisa Savchenko Neiland Natasha Zvereva6–4, 6–0Loss 1991Wimbledon Jana Novotná Larisa Savchenko Neiland Natasha Zvereva4–6, 6–3, 4–6Win 1992French Open (2) Natasha Zvereva Conchita Martínez Arantxa Sánchez Vicario6–3, 6–2Win 1992Wimbledon (1) Natasha Zvereva Larisa Savchenko Neiland Jana Novotná6–4, 6–1Win 1992US Open (3) Natasha Zvereva Larisa Savchenko Neiland Jana Novotná7–6(7–4), 6–1Win 1993Australian Open (1) Natasha Zvereva Pam Shriver Elizabeth Smylie6–4, 6–3Win 1993French Open (3) Natasha Zvereva Jana Novotná Larisa Savchenko Neiland6–3, 7–5Win 1993Wimbledon (2) Natasha Zvereva Larisa Savchenko Neiland Jana Novotná6–4, 6–7(9–11), 6–4Win 1994Australian Open (2) Natasha Zvereva Patty Fendick Meredith McGrath6–3, 4–6, 6–4Win 1994French Open (4) Natasha Zvereva Lindsay Davenport Lisa Raymond6–2, 6–2Win 1994Wimbledon (3) Natasha Zvereva Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario6–4, 6–1Loss 1995Australian Open Natasha Zvereva Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario3–6, 7–6(7–3), 4–6Win 1995French Open (5) Natasha Zvereva Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario6–7(6–8), 6–4, 7–5Loss 1995Wimbledon Natasha Zvereva Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario7–5, 5–7, 4–6Win 1995US Open (4) Natasha Zvereva Brenda Schultz-McCarthy Rennae Stubbs7–5, 6–3Loss 1996French Open Natasha Zvereva Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández2–6, 1–6Win 1996US Open (5) Natasha Zvereva Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario1–6, 6–1, 6–4Win 1997French Open (6) Natasha Zvereva Mary Joe Fernández Lisa Raymond6–2, 6–3Win 1997Wimbledon (4) Natasha Zvereva Nicole Arendt Manon Bollegraf7–6(7–4), 6–4Loss 1997US Open Natasha Zvereva Lindsay Davenport Jana Novotná3–6, 4–6
Mixed doubles: 3 runner-ups ResultYearChampionshipPartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1995Australian Open Cyril Suk Natasha Zvereva Rick Leach 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–3), 4–6Loss 1995Wimbledon Cyril Suk Martina Navratilova Jonathan Stark 4–6, 4–6Loss 1995US Open Cyril Suk Meredith McGrath Matt Lucena 4–6, 4–6
Other significant finals
Summer Olympics Doubles: 2 (2 gold medals) ResultYearTournamentPartnerOpponentsScoreGold1992Barcelona Olympics, Spain Mary Joe Fernández Conchita Martínez Arantxa Sánchez7–5, 2–6, 6–2Gold1996Atlanta Olympics, United States Mary Joe Fernández Jana Novotná Helena Suková7–6(8–6), 6–4
WTA Tour finals Singles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runner-ups) ResultW–L DateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 0–1 Jul 1984 Newport, US Regular Grass Martina Navratilova 3–6, 6–7(3–7)Win 1–1 Oct 1986 Singapore, Singapore Tier V Hard (i) Mercedes Paz 6–4, 2–6, 6–4Loss 1–2 Oct 1989San Juan, Puerto RicoTier IV Hard Laura Gildemeister 1–6, 2–6Win 2–2 Apr 1991Albuquerque, USTier IV Hard Julie Halard 6–0, 6–2Loss 2–3 Oct 1992San Juan, Puerto RicoTier IV Hard Mary Pierce 1–6, 5–7
Doubles: 118 (69 titles, 49 runner-ups)