NFL
By: Zachary Draves
They were one of the fiercest dynamic duos in the history of tennis. They shared the same last name but weren’t related by blood. They were however related in a similar desire to be the best. They were Mary Joe and Gigi Fernandez.
Both of whom lived out the very essence of the immigrant story. Modest upbringing with a dream in their hearts to be the best they can be. Mary Joe comes from the Dominican Republic to a Cuban mother and Spanish father before relocating to Miami, Florida, a state that has produced a rich history in tennis excellence as much as it has produced the richness in citrus fruit. She would go on to win seven titles on the WTA tour from 1986-2000.
Gigi was born in Puerto Rico and began playing the sport at seven years old. She represented her native country at the 1983 Pan American Games winning two gold medals before turning professional and finding a new home in Florida as well. With doubles as her speciality, she would win 17 Grand Slam titles.
It was in 1992 when Mary Joe and Gigi would team up and represent the United States on the biggest stage of them all at the Barcelona Olympics. The excitement of being there was everything for both players as they had been working towards this moment with sheer tenacity and preparation. For Mary Joe, it was an overwhelming experience not just for her as an athlete but for her father who was a native of Spain.
(Courtesy: Associated Press)
“When I look back at my career, it is by far my biggest highlight,” she said. “When I look back on and have the best memories.”
She cites the opening ceremony featuring an ocean of athletes from across the world as being one of those memories. But without question the biggest was when she and Gigi took home the gold medal in doubles. Not only did they win but they defeated Conchita Martínez and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, who were representing the home country with the King and Queen in attendance.
“It was pretty cool to get to the finals,” said Gigi. “The stadium was packed which for doubles matches it wasn’t always but it was one of the largest crowds.”
Also during that match, it seemed as though the guests of honor possessed special powers. As she and Mary Joe were well ahead 3-1, Gigi said was ready to serve the ball when the King and Queen walked out onto the court to a thunderous applause. She turned to Mary Joe and asked what the people were doing and Mary Joe said that this was the King and Queen of the country. That brief pause gave the spaniards a boost of confidence
“They went crazy,” said Mary Joe “It was a total shift. We were totally in control and all of a sudden this happened, and things changed.”
Talk about change as the momentum swung the other way and apparently this was not just confined to Tennis.
“They would show up to the gold medals and the Spaniards would elevate their games,” said Gigi “We knew that and we lost six games and it was like damn. But we pulled it off.
For Gigi, it was also the biggest highlight of her career as it was the first Olympics for both of them. The feeling of standing on top of the podium, national anthem playing, and the gold medal wrapped around their necks was the epitome of what they both worked for. An award in which they get recognized for the most as compared to the others.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
Mary Joe also took home a bronze medal in singles, an honor she shared with Sánchez Vicario due to the fact that there was no bronze medal match because it was a single elimination tournament. They also were part of a team that had some of the most iconic names in the sport such as Jennifer Capriati, who would win gold in the singles by defeating the great Steffi Graff, as well as Zina Garrison, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, and Michael Chang.
They also got to live out the thrill of seeing the greatest athletes in the world right at their doorstep such as the Dream Team. Even if they had to put up with no air conditioning in the village that happened to be alongside a busy freeway. Lots of heat and little sleep did very little to dampen the mood of being among the best.
Four years later, they repeated as gold medal winners in doubles at the Atlanta Olympics. Even with all the hardware they attained, it was their debut in Barcelona that has meant the most to each of them for a myriad of reasons.
“The proudest thing for me was that a Puerto Rican and a Dominican/Spaniard/Cuban won a gold medal for the United States,” said Gigi. “It was so unique because the United States is such a melting pot.”
“It ended up being a huge deal,” said Mary Joe. “It was the biggest thing that we were a part of. Professionals were allowed to play and there was a tremendous amount of pride and honor representing your country, your team, and yourself on such a huge stage.”
