Induction Year: 1996

Zina Garrison began playing tennis at age 10 on the courts of the Houston public parks. By the age of eighteen, she had won Wimbledon and U.S. Open Junior titles and was recognized as the World Junior Champion.

Garrison was ranked in the top five in women’s doubles four times. She has 14 singles titles and 20 doubles titles including 3 mixed doubles titles. She was a member of the 1984-1987 Federation Cup Teams, the 1987-1988 Wightman Cup Teams and the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Teams. She won over 500 matches and is only the 12th woman to reach that mark.

In 1988 Garrison won an Olympic gold medal in doubles and a bronze in singles. In 1989, she won three singles titles in the Virginia Slims and the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon with Sherwood Stewart. At the U.S. Open, she gave Chris Evert her last defeat on tour in an emotional quarter-final match. The following year, Garrison made it to the finals of Wimbledon in the singles division.

In 1988 Garrison founded the Zina Garrison Foundation to provide support for the homeless, youth organization, antidrug groups and other charitable organizations. In 1992 she founded the Zina Garrison All Court Tennis Academy to help build the self-esteem of inner-city children through tennis.