Joy Tacon

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Joy Tacon
Country (sports) Flag of Hong Kong 1959.svg Hong Kong
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Born (1961-06-02) 2 June 1961 (age 64)
PlaysRight-handed
Prize moneyUS$ 17,942
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 180 (June/July 1980)
Grand Slam singles results
Wimbledon 1R (1985, 1986)
Doubles
Career titles5 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 161 (15 March 1987)
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon 2R (1985)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon 1R (1988)
Medal record
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Women's Tennis
Summer Universiade
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1985 Kobe Women's Doubles

Joy Tacon (born 2 June 1961) is a British former professional tennis player.

Contents

Tacon was born in 1961 and is a graduate of Wycombe Abbey School. She attended the University of Houston on a tennis scholarship. [1] At the 1985 University Games in Kobe, she teamed up with Liz Jones to win a silver medal for Great Britain in doubles. [2]

A right-handed, Tacon competed on the professional tour from 1984 to 1988, reaching a career high ranking of 180 in the world. She twice received a wildcard into the singles main draw at Wimbledon and fell in the first round to seeded players both times, Kathy Jordan in 1985 and Hana Mandlíková in 1986. [3] Her best Wimbledon performance was a second round appearance in the women's doubles at the 1985 Wimbledon Championships losing to Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver. However, she also reached the first round in both the 1986 and 1988 Championships for doubles as well as qualifying and getting through to the first round in the mixed doubles with Mike Walker. They lost to Steffi Graf and Pavel Složil in that, the first, round of the 1988 Wimbledon Championships

After concluding her professional tennis career, Tacon set up the tennis programme at Putney High School, where she taught A-Level Economics (1990-1994). Additionally, she also set up the Young Enterprise scheme at Putney High, where it continues today.

From 1994-2003, she worked as the managing director of Smith Bernal International where, she set up the company from a base of operations in Hong Kong to provide court reporting and technology for litigation lawyers. Smith Bernal was acquired by Merrill Legal Solutions in 1997 and subsequently expanded throughout Asia, Australia and Hong Kong. From 2003-2007 she worked as a consultant for the aforementioned company.

Furthermore, since 1992–present she has been the managing director of a private property company and recently (2019–present) started working with Yoke, a Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultancy for the Public and Private Sector.

ITF finals

Doubles: 12 (5–7)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1.24 September 1984 Bol, YugoslaviaClay Flag of Germany.svg Martina Reinhardt Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Miluše Dosedělová
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Karmen Škulj
3–6, 4–6
Win1.15 October 1984 Haifa, IsraelHard Flag of Germany.svg Martina Reinhardt Flag of Sweden.svg Elizabeth Ekblom
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne van der Torre
6–2, 7–5
Loss2.20 May 1985 Bath, United KingdomClay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Belinda Borneo Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Elna Reinach
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Monica Reinach
3–6, 3–6
Win2.18 November 1985 Cheshire, United KingdomCarpet Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Belinda Borneo Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Regina Rajchrtová
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jana Novotná
6–2, 6–3
Loss3.19 April 1986 Cumberland, United KingdomHard Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Monica Reinach Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jane Wood
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Belinda Borneo
4–6, 3–6
Win3.27 April 1986 Hatfield, United KingdomHard Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Monica Reinach Flag of Sweden.svg Catrin Jexell
Flag of Sweden.svg Helena Olsson
6–1, 5–7, 6–3
Loss4.7 November 1986 Queens, United KingdomGrass Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lorrayne Gracie Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sally Timms
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Katie Rickett
4–6, 3–6
Loss5.16 August 1987 Koksijde, BelgiumClay Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Kathleen Schuurmans Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Sabine Appelmans
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Caroline van Renterghem
7–6(2), 2–6, 6–7(3)
Loss6.9 November 1987 Eastbourne, United KingdomCarpet Flag of France.svg Pascale Etchemendy Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Eugenia Maniokova
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Natalia Medvedeva
1–6, 1–6
Win4.23 April 1988 Queens, United KingdomClay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Anne Simpkin Flag of Ireland.svg Lesley O'Halloran
Flag of Denmark.svg Lone Vandborg
4–6, 6–2, 7–6
Win5.8 May 1988 Bournemouth, United KingdomClay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Anne Simpkin Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sally Godman
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexandra Niepel
6–3, 6–3
Loss7.15 May 1988 Bath, United KingdomClay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Anne Simpkin Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sally Godman
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexandra Niepel
3–6, 2–6

Personal life

Joy Tacon is sister of Christine Tacon CBE

References

  1. Houstonian Yearbook. 1984. p. 130.
  2. "Italian whips heat in Games marathon". El Paso Times . 2 September 1985. p. 20.
  3. "Tennis Results: $3 Million Wimbledon Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, June 24". United Press International . 24 June 1986.