Houston Sports - Zina Garrison

Zina Garrison

Born: November 16, 1963

Sport: Tennis (World #1 junior women's player, World #4 singles player, Wimbledon singles finalist, 2-time Australian Open doubles finalist, 2-time Olympic medalist - 1 Gold, 1 Bronze)

It's always amazing to me what variety of sports figures have come from Houston.  Obviously the city has long been a hotbed (figuratively as well as literally, given our typical weather patterns) of talent for the major sports.  But what about the events that don't always attract as big a spotlight?  Space City has had its share of stars there as well, and because of the makeup of our region we have produced some trailblazers and trendsetters.  Although tennis has never been a true "fringe" sport, it doesn't generally get in the zeitgeist unless someone truly special comes along.  During the time leading up to last week's Wimbledon final, much of the conversation centered on the return of Serena Williams to a major tournament at the age of 44.  Alongside her sister, Venus, the Williams sisters have been the face of women's tennis for literal decades.  But before they shattered barriers and established new standards, a young lady from Houston made her presence felt on the biggest stage.  This week, let's learn the story of Zina Garrison.

Zina Garrison found tennis at MacGregor Park, where she played in the 1970s

Zina Garrison was the youngest of seven children born to Ulysees and Mary Garrison in the Sunnyside neighborhood just south of Houston.  Ulysees was a postman who died when Zina was just a few months old, leaving Mary to raise her children while working as a nurse's aide.  A decade younger than any of her siblings, Zina often competed against older kids in various sports such as softball and track, but was left as the only child at home with her mother by the time she was 10.  That year, Zina made her way up to MacGregor Park where she joined the junior tennis program there under the guidance of John Wilkerson, who gave Zina her first racket and became her longtime coach.  She also befriended Lori McNeil, who would also become a professional tennis player.  Within two years, Garrison entered her first tournament at the age of 12, and then at 14 she became a champion at the highest level of junior tennis by claiming the national 18s title.  Everything was looking up for Zina by the time she was 18, as she had claimed victory at both the Wimbledon and US Open junior tournaments to become the undisputed #1 junior tennis player in the world.  When it was time to graduate from Ross Sterling High School, she skipped the ceremony to travel to Europe to compete in the French Open as her first professional tournament, and she gained plenty of attention when she reached the semifinals.  Tragically, however, Mary Garrison died when her daughter was just 19 years old, an event that caused effects that rippled through Zina's life.

To say that Zina Garrison faced pressure and stress as a young adult, and new professional, would be an understatement.  Losing her mother, who she claimed was the only person who she knew loved her unconditionally, while constantly being reminded that her race and upbringing would make her an outsider to many in her sport led to unhealthy coping strategies.  Garrison was the 1982 WTA Newcomer of the Year but found herself resorting to bulimia as a way to achieve what she thought should be her ideal look.  In spite of family tragedy and an eating disorder that threatened the very athleticism that had carried her to the heights of her field, Garrison finished her first year as a pro ranked #10 in the world.  Using the tennis court as an escape from the realities around her, Zina continued to climb the world rankings as a singles player while also beginning to succeed in doubles play.  By 1985 she had cracked the top 5 while reaching another Wimbledon semifinal, but eventually admitted to her coach that she had an eating disorder.  Wilkerson helped find her the treatment she needed, leading her to finally confront her own trauma, and she continued to find success on the court.  By 1986 she had begun winning doubles titles to add to her growing trophy case, but her inability to win on the biggest stage led her to replace her coach, turning instead to Wilkerson's associate, Willis Thomas.  The following year she won the mixed doubles event at the Australian Open while being runner up in women's doubles alongside her old Houston friend, Lori McNeil.  It was a banner year in 1988 for Garrison, who once again teamed up with mixed doubles partner Sherwood Stewart to claim the Wimbledon title before participating in the Seoul Olympic Games, where she won a bronze in women's singles and a gold alongside Pam Shriver in women's doubles.  Coming back home as an Olympic champion, Garrison started a charity to assist the homeless, and a year later she marked 1989 with a victory in the quarterfinals at the US Open over Chris Evert in what would be the the former champion's final tournament appearance.  By the end of that year, Garrison reached her highest career singles ranking by climbing to #4, and she found love when she married Willard Jackson.

The 1990 season saw Zina Garrison at the top of her game making a stunning run at a major.  At Wimbledon, she handled the lower seeds during the opening rounds before facing the gauntlet of Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, and Martina Navratilova.  In defeating Seles and Graf, Garrison became the first African American woman to reach the final of a Grand Slam in 32 years.  Navratilova eventually won the title, her ninth at Wimbledon, but Garrison still went home a champion with her third mixed doubles title, this time alongside Rick Leach.  Her success led to more endorsements and personal appearances, but the time demands took a toll on her performance.  She briefly changed coaches, taking instruction from former doubles partner Sherwood Stewart before reconsidering and returning to Willis Thomas.  Unfortunately, however, Garrison's career would not experience a resurgence and after reaching the Australian Open final in women's doubles in 1992 and in mixed doubles in 1993, she never again reached the title round at a Grand Slam event.  Her influence expanded off the court, however, as Bill Clinton appointed her to a position on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and she started a Houston-based tennis program that bears her name in 1992 in an effort to promote and support tennis in the inner city, giving other kids the same opportunity she had as a child.  Garrison's husband talked her out of a planned retirement in 1995 but she ultimately left the court for good one year later.  From 1982 until 1995, she remained in world ranking top 25.  In 1997, Garrison's marriage ended and the divorce sent her into a deep depression that saw a relapse of her struggles with bulimia.  In 1999 she ingested a large combination of Sudafed and Tylenol that sent her to the hospital for three days and treatment for another ten, and came away with the help she needed to remain healthy.  Billie Jean King, who was serving as the captain of the US Federation Cup team, had Garrison on her staff until 2003 when her tenure ended.  Garrison, who had also been acting as the US Tennis Association's director, took over the position of her legendary mentor and served as team captain through the 2008 season.  In 2008 she led Team USA's delegation to the Beijing Olympic Games, where the Williams sisters claimed doubles gold.  Garrison participated in a season of The Biggest Loser in 2014, looking to promote healthy ways of losing weight, but was the first contestant to be eliminated from season 16.  In addition to acting as a commentator for tennis, Garrison has also become an advocate on the issues of mental health and eating disorders, seeking to save others from the challenges she has had to overcome.  Today, Zina Garrison continues to serve her neighborhood as the tennis director for the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

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