Betsy Nagelsen
Helen Elizabeth "Betsy" Nagelsen McCormack (born October 23, 1956) is an American former professional tennis player.
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Maui, Hawaii & Orlando, Florida |
| Born | October 23, 1956 St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Turned pro | 1973 |
| Retired | 1996 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Prize money | $1,016,519 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 194–256 |
| Career titles | 4 |
| Highest ranking | No. 23 (end 1981)[1] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1978) |
| French Open | 2R (1975, 1978) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1981, 1986) |
| US Open | 3R (1974, 1976, 1980, 1988) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 385–253 |
| Career titles | 26 |
| Highest ranking | No. 11 (March 14, 1988) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1978, 1980) |
| French Open | SF (1981, 1985) |
| Wimbledon | F (1987) |
| US Open | SF (1978, 1984, 1987) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1987) |
Career
Nagelsen was the world's top junior in 1973. She won the 1973 U.S. Champion Girls' 16 and under singles. She also won the USTA Girls' Sportsmanship Award in 1974.[2] As a professional, she won the doubles championship at the 1978 and 1980 Australian Opens (with Renáta Tomanová and Martina Navratilova, respectively), and reached the singles final of the 1978 Australian Open, losing to Christine O'Neil. Over her 21-year career on the WTA Tour, Nagelsen won 26 doubles titles and four singles titles.
Nagelsen reached her career-high singles ranking by the end of 1981, when she became the world No. 23.[1] She also reached a career-high ranking in doubles of No. 11 on March 4, 1988. She had career wins over Martina Navratilova, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Sue Barker, Pam Shriver, Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, Rosie Casals, Betty Stöve, and Sylvia Hanika. She was a four-time member of the U.S. Wightman Cup Team in 1974, 1985, 1988 and 1989.
After her retirement in 1996, Nagelsen became a commentator for ABC and ESPN in the United States and Australia's Nine Network. She married Mark McCormack, founder of the sports management group IMG. The couple donated money for the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Women's Tennis Hall of Fame is located on the site.
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1978 | Australian Open | Grass | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Chris O'Neil | 3–6, 6–7(3–7) |
Doubles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1977(J) | Australian Open | Grass | Kerry Reid | Dianne Fromholtz Helen Gourlay | 7–5, 1–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 1978 | Australian Open | Grass |  Renáta Tomanová |  Naoko Sato Pam Whytcross | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Win | 1980 | Australian Open | Grass | Martina Navratilova | Ann Kiyomura Candy Reynolds | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1987 | Wimbledon | Grass | Elizabeth Smylie |  Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková | 5–7, 5–7 |
Mixed Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1987 | US Open | Hard | Paul Annacone | Martina Navratilova  Emilio Sánchez | 4–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–7(12–14) |
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | NH |
Singles
| Tournament | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | A | 1R | A | F | A | 3R | 2R | A | 2R | 1R | 2R | NH | 2R | 1R | A | A | A | 0 / 9 |
| French Open | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 2R | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | 1R | A | 0 / 12 | |
| Wimbledon | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 4R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 18 | |
| US Open | 3R | A | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 15 | |
| Strike Rate | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 54 | |
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
See also
References
- WTA Ranking 1981
- "ITA Betsy Nagelsen McCormack". Retrieved 2011-12-08.
