Lori McNeil

This article is about the American tennis player and coach. For the American physicist, see Laurie McNeil.

Lori McNeil

Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Houston, Texas
Born	(1963-12-18) December 18, 1963 (age 61) San Diego, California
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Turned pro	1983
Retired	2002
Plays	Right-handed (one handed-backhand)
Prize money	$3,441,604
Singles
Career record	436–309
Career titles	10
Highest ranking	No. 9 (July 4, 1988)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (1987)
French Open	3R (1988, 1992, 1994)
Wimbledon	SF (1994)
US Open	SF (1987)
Doubles
Career record	605–335
Career titles	33
Highest ranking	No. 4 (November 9, 1987)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	F (1987)
French Open	QF (1987, 1992, 1993)
Wimbledon	SF (1987)
US Open	SF (1995, 1996)
Mixed doubles
Career titles	1
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	SF (1997)
French Open	W (1988)
Wimbledon	F (1994)
US Open	QF (1992)

Lori McNeil (born December 18, 1963) is an American tennis coach and former top 10 player. McNeil was a singles semifinalist at the US Open in 1987 and Wimbledon in 1994, a women's doubles finalist at the Australian Open in 1987 with Zina Garrison and French Open mixed-doubles winner in 1988 with Jorge Lozano.

Personal

McNeil was born the youngest of four siblings to mother Dorothy and father Charlie McNeil, who played professional football with the San Diego Chargers during the 1960s. Moving from San Diego to Houston, McNeil developed her tennis skills at MacGregor Park playground, a public facility in the Third Ward district. It was there she became close childhood friends with fellow future professional tennis player, Zina Garrison. ^[1]

Career

Lori McNeil attended Oklahoma State University for two years and played tennis for the Cowgirls, reaching the 1983 NCAA quarterfinals (losing to eventual champion Beth Herr from USC).

McNeil played on the WTA Tour for 19 years from 1983–2002. She won a total of ten singles titles and 33 doubles titles during her career. Her career-high world rankings were No. 9 in singles (in 1988) and No. 4 in doubles (in 1987).

In 1987, McNeil was awarded the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year.

McNeil is perhaps best remembered for her results against Steffi Graf. In 1992, she defeated Graf 7–6, 6–4 in the first round of the WTA Tour Championships, marking the first time since 1985 that Graf had lost in the opening round of a tournament. Then, in 1994, McNeil beat Graf 7–5, 7–6 in the first round at Wimbledon, the first time in Grand Slam history that a defending champion had suffered a first-round loss in women's singles.

That year, McNeil went on to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon before losing to eventual-champion Conchita Martínez 3-6, 6-2, 10-8. This equalled McNeil's best-ever Grand Slam singles performance – she also reached the semifinals at the US Open in 1987 (after defeating six-time champion Chris Evert in the quarterfinals) where she lost to Graf 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Despite never winning a women's doubles Grand Slam title, she reached the quarterfinal stage or better on 22 occasions at major level, and won multiple WTA Tour doubles titles with many of the leading doubles players of the era, including Martina Navratilova, Gigi Fernández, Rennae Stubbs, Katrina Adams, Zina Garrison and Helena Suková.

From 2001-2004, McNeil coached former top-5 player Amanda Coetzer. Partnering together, coach and student reached the doubles quarterfinals of the 2002 Australian Open. In 2004 and 2008, McNeil was also Assistant Coach to the US Olympic tennis teams. ^[2]

In 2006, McNeil was inducted into the ITA Hall of Fame.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 1 (runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1987	Australian Open	Grass	Zina Garrison	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	6–1, 6–0

Mixed doubles: 4 (1 title, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1987	French Open	Clay	Sherwood Stewart	Pam Shriver Emilio Sánchez	6–3, 7–6(7–4)
Win	1988	French Open	Clay	Jorge Lozano	Brenda Schultz Michiel Schapers	7–5, 6–2
Loss	1992	French Open	Clay	Bryan Shelton	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Mark Woodforde	6–2, 6–3
Loss	1994	Wimbledon	Grass	T. J. Middleton	Helena Suková Todd Woodbridge	3–6, 7–5, 6–3

WTA Tour finals

Singles: 21 (10 titles, 11 runner-ups)

Legend Tier I (0–1) Tier II (1–0) Tier III (2–2) Tier IV (2–1) Tier V (3–2) Virginia Slims (2–5)

Finals by surface Hard (4–3) Grass (4–2) Clay (0–1) Carpet (2–5)

Result	W/L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	Feb 1986	Oklahoma City, US	Carpet (i)	Marcella Mesker	4–6, 6–4, 3–6
Loss	0–2	Jul 1986	Newport, US	Grass	Pam Shriver	4–6, 2–6
Win	1–2	Sep 1986	Tampa, US	Hard	Zina Garrison	2–6, 7–5, 6–2
Win	2–2	Sep 1986	Tulsa, US	Hard	Beth Herr	6–0, 6–1
Loss	2–3	Feb 1987	Oklahoma City, US	Hard	Elizabeth Smylie	6–4, 3–6, 5–7
Loss	2–4	Mar 1987	Piscataway, US	Carpet (i)	Helena Suková	0–6, 3–6
Loss	2–5	Sep 1987	New Orleans, US	Carpet (i)	Chris Evert	3–6, 5–7
Win	3–5	Feb 1988	Oklahoma City, US	Carpet (i)	Brenda Schultz	6–3, 6–2
Loss	3–6	May 1988	Geneva, Switzerland	Clay	Barbara Paulus	4–6, 7–5, 1–6
Win	4–6	Jul 1988	Newport, US	Grass	Barbara Potter	6–4, 4–6, 6–3
Loss	4–7	Jan 1989	Tokyo, Japan	Carpet (i)	Martina Navratilova	7–6(7–3), 3–6, 6–7(5–7)
Win	5–7	Aug 1989	Albuquerque, US	Hard	Elna Reinach	6–1, 6–3
Win	6–7	Feb 1991	Denver, US	Carpet (i)	Manon Bollegraf	6–3, 6–4
Win	7–7	Apr 1991	Tokyo, Japan	Hard	Sabine Appelmans	2–6, 6–2, 6–1
Loss	7–8	Jul 1991	Westchester, US	Hard	Isabelle Demongeot	4–6, 4–6
Loss	7–9	Feb 1992	Oklahoma City, US	Hard (i)	Zina Garrison	5–7, 6–3, 5–7(10)
Win	8–9	Jun 1992	Eastbourne, UK	Grass	Linda Wild	6–4, 6–4
Win	9–9	Jun 1993	Birmingham, UK	Grass	Zina Garrison	6–4, 2–6, 6–3
Win	10–9	Jun 1994	Birmingham, UK	Grass	Zina Garrison	6–2, 6–2
Loss	10–10	Jun 1995	Birmingham, UK	Grass	Zina Garrison	3–6, 3–6
Loss	10–11	Nov 1995	Philadelphia, US	Carpet (i)	Steffi Graf	1–6, 6–4, 3–6

Doubles: 64 (33 titles, 31 runner-ups)

Legend Grand Slam (0–1) Tier I (3–2) Tier II (4–8) Tier III (8–5) Tier IV (4–2) Tier V (4–3) Virginia Slims (10–10)

Finals by surface Hard (13–9) Grass (4–3) Clay (6–7) Carpet (10–12)

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1.	Sep 1983	Bakersfield	Hard	Kyle Copeland	Ann Henricksson Patricia Medrado	6–4, 6–3
Loss	1.	Apr 1985	Seabrook Island	Clay	Elise Burgin	Svetlana Parkhomenko Larisa Savchenko	1–6, 3–6
Win	2.	Oct 1985	Brighton	Carpet (i)	Catherine Suire	Barbara Potter Helena Suková	4–6, 7–6(3), 6–4
Loss	2.	Feb 1986	Memphis	Carpet (i)	Catherine Suire	Marcella Mesker Pascale Paradis	6–2, 6–7(1), 1–6
Loss	3.	Oct 1986	Zürich	Carpet (i)	Alycia Moulton	Steffi Graf Gabriela Sabatini	6–1, 4–6, 4–6
Win	3.	Oct 1986	Indianapolis	Hard (i)	Zina Garrison	Candy Reynolds Anne Smith	4–5 ret.
Win	4.	Nov 1986	San Juan	Hard	Mercedes Paz	Gigi Fernández Robin White	6–2, 3–6, 6–4
Win	5.	Dec 1986	Buenos Aires	Clay	Mercedes Paz	Manon Bollegraf Nicole Jagerman	6–1, 2–6, 6–1
Loss	4.	Jan 1987	Australian Open	Grass	Zina Garrison	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	1–6, 0–6
Loss	5.	Feb 1987	Memphis	Hard	Kim Sands	Svetlana Parkhomenko Larisa Savchenko	4–6, 4–6
Loss	6.	Mar 1987	Washington D.C.	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Elise Burgin Pam Shriver	1–6, 6–3, 4–6
Win	6.	Mar 1987	Piscataway	Carpet (i)	Gigi Fernández	Betsy Nagelsen Elizabeth Smylie	6–1, 6–4
Loss	7.	Apr 1987	Hilton Head	Clay	Zina Garrison	Mercedes Paz Eva Pfaff	6–7(6), 5–7
Loss	8.	Apr 1987	Houston	Clay	Zina Garrison	Kathy Jordan Martina Navratilova	2–6, 4–6
Win	7.	Jul 1987	Newport	Grass	Gigi Fernández	Anne Hobbs Kathy Jordan	7–6(5), 7–5
Loss	9.	Aug 1987	Los Angeles	Hard	Zina Garrison	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	3–6, 4–6
Win	8.	Aug 1987	Toronto	Hard	Zina Garrison	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková	6–1, 6–2
Win	9.	Aug 1987	Mahwah	Hard	Gigi Fernández	Anne Hobbs Elizabeth Smylie	6–3, 6–2
Win	10.	Sep 1987	New Orleans	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Peanut Louie Harper Heather Ludloff	6–3, 6–4
Loss	10.	Oct 1987	Filderstadt	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	1–6, 2–6
Loss	11.	Nov 1987	Chicago	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková	4–6, 3–6
Win	11.	Feb 1988	Dallas	Carpet (i)	Eva Pfaff	Gigi Fernández Zina Garrison	2–6, 6–4, 7–5
Win	12.	Feb 1988	San Antonio	Hard	Helena Suková	Rosalyn Fairbank Gretchen Magers	6–3, 6–7(5), 6–2
Win	13.	Apr 1988	Hilton Head	Clay	Martina Navratilova	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Gabriela Sabatini	6–2, 2–6, 6–3
Loss	12.	Apr 1988	Houston	Clay	Martina Navratilova	Katrina Adams Zina Garrison	7–6(4), 2–6, 4–6
Loss	13.	Jul 1988	Newport	Grass	Gigi Fernández	Rosalyn Fairbank Barbara Potter	4–6, 3–6
Loss	14.	Oct 1988	New Orleans	Hard	Betsy Nagelsen	Beth Herr Candy Reynolds	4–6, 4–6
Win	14.	Oct 1988	Brighton	Carpet (i)	Betsy Nagelsen	Isabelle Demongeot Nathalie Tauziat	7–6(5), 2–6, 7–6(4)
Win	15.	Nov 1988	Chicago	Carpet (i)	Betsy Nagelsen	Larisa Savchenko Natasha Zvereva	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Loss	15.	Nov 1988	Adelaide	Hard	Jana Novotná	Sylvia Hanika Claudia Kohde-Kilsch	5–7, 7–6(4), 4–6
Win	16.	Feb 1989	Memphis	Hard (i)	Betsy Nagelsen	Elise Burgin Elizabeth Smylie	w/o
Loss	16.	Mar 1989	Key Biscayne	Hard	Gigi Fernández	Jana Novotná Helena Suková	6–7(5), 4–6
Loss	17.	Apr 1989	Houston	Clay	Gigi Fernández	Katrina Adams Zina Garrison	3–6, 4–6
Win	17.	May 1989	Geneva	Clay	Katrina Adams	Larisa Savchenko Natasha Zvereva	2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win	18.	Jul 1989	Newport	Grass	Gigi Fernández	Elizabeth Smylie Wendy Turnbull	6–3, 6–7(5), 7–5
Win	19.	Oct 1989	Brighton	Carpet (i)	Katrina Adams	Hana Mandlíková Jana Novotná	4–6, 7–6(7), 6–4
Win	20.	Oct 1989	Indianapolis	Hard (i)	Katrina Adams	Claudia Porwik Larisa Savchenko	6–4, 6–4
Loss	18.	Feb 1991	Denver	Carpet (i)	Patty Fendick	Lise Gregory Gretchen Rush	4–6, 4–6
Win	21.	May 1991	Strasbourg	Clay	Stephanie Rehe	Manon Bollegraf Mercedes Paz	6–7(2), 6–4, 6–4
Loss	19.	Jul 1991	Westchester	Hard	Katrina Adams	Rosalyn Fairbank Lise Gregory	5–7, 4–6
Win	22.	Sep 1991	Milan	Carpet (i)	Sandy Collins	Sabine Appelmans Raffaella Reggi	7–6(0), 6–3
Loss	20.	Oct 1991	Zürich	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Jana Novotná Andrea Strnadová	4–6, 3–6
Loss	21.	Oct 1991	Brighton	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Pam Shriver Natasha Zvereva	1–6, 2–6
Win	23.	Feb 1992	Memphis	Hard (i)	Nicole Provis	Katrina Adams Manon Bollegraf	3–6, 6–4, 7–6(6)
Loss	22.	May 1992	Strasbourg	Clay	Mercedes Paz	Patty Fendick Andrea Strnadová	3–6, 4–6
Win	24.	Jun 1992	Birmingham	Grass	Rennae Stubbs	Sandy Collins Elna Reinach	5–7, 6–3, 8–6
Win	25.	Aug 1992	Montreal	Hard	Rennae Stubbs	Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva	3–6, 7–5, 7–5
Loss	23.	Jan 1993	Sydney	Hard	Rennae Stubbs	Pam Shriver Elizabeth Smylie	6–7(4), 2–6
Loss	24.	Feb 1993	Tokyo	Carpet (i)	Rennae Stubbs	Martina Navratilova Helena Suková	4–6, 3–6
Win	26.	Jun 1993	Birmingham	Grass	Martina Navratilova	Pam Shriver Elizabeth Smylie	6–3, 6–4
Win	27.	Mar 1994	Hilton Head	Clay	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva	6–4, 4–1 ret.
Win	28.	May 1994	Strasbourg	Clay	Rennae Stubbs	Patricia Tarabini Caroline Vis	6–3, 3–6, 6–2
Loss	25.	Mar 1995	Delray Beach	Hard	Larisa Neiland	Mary Joe Fernández Jana Novotná	4–6, 0–6
Loss	26.	Oct 1995	Brighton	Carpet (i)	Helena Suková	Meredith McGrath Larisa Neiland	5–7, 1–6
Win	29.	Oct 1995	Oakland	Carpet (i)	Helena Suková	Katrina Adams Zina Garrison	3–6, 6–4, 6–3
Win	30.	Nov 1995	Philadelphia	Carpet (i)	Helena Suková	Meredith McGrath Larisa Neiland	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Loss	27.	Jan 1996	Sydney	Hard	Helena Suková	Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández	3–6, 3–6
Loss	28.	Feb 1996	Essen	Carpet (i)	Helena Suková	Meredith McGrath Larisa Neiland	6–3, 3–6, 2–6
Loss	29.	Jun 1996	Birmingham	Grass	Nathalie Tauziat	Elizabeth Smylie Linda Wild	3–6, 6–3, 1–6
Loss	30.	Nov 1996	Philadelphia	Carpet (i)	Nicole Arendt	Lisa Raymond Rennae Stubbs	4–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win	31.	Oct 1998	Quebec City	Hard (i)	Kimberly Po	Chanda Rubin Sandrine Testud	6–7(3), 7–5, 6–4
Win	32.	Feb 2001	Memphis	Hard (i)	Amanda Coetzer	Janet Lee Wynne Prakusya	6–3, 2–6, 6–0
Loss	31.	May 2001	Strasbourg	Clay	Amanda Coetzer	Silvia Farina Elia Iroda Tulyaganova	1–6, 6–7(0)
Win	33.	Sep 2001	Bahia	Hard	Amanda Coetzer	Nicole Arendt Patricia Tarabini	6–7(8), 6–2, 6–4

Grand Slam performance timelines

Key

W

F

SF

QF

#R

RR

Q#

DNQ

A

NH

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

Tournament	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	Career SR
Australian Open	A	A	2R	LQ	1R	NH	QF	4R	1R	1R	3R	1R	2R	A	3R	2R	1R	A	A	0 / 12
French Open	A	A	A	2R	2R	1R	1R	3R	2R	1R	1R	3R	2R	3R	1R	A	1R	1R	A	0 / 14
Wimbledon	A	A	A	1R	1R	QF	2R	3R	4R	3R	3R	3R	2R	SF	1R	3R	1R	3R	A	0 / 15
US Open	LQ	A	LQ	4R	1R	1R	SF	3R	1R	2R	2R	3R	2R	1R	2R	1R	1R	2R	A	0 / 15
SR	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 1	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 0	0 / 56
Year-end ranking	NR	NR	148	97	93	14	11	13	37	52	19	15	25	17	34	83	305	91	869

Doubles

Tournament	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	Career SR
Australian Open	2R	1R	1R	NH	F	A	QF	3R	3R	3R	QF	A	QF	1R	3R	A	A	A	A	QF	0 / 13
French Open	A	1R	2R	1R	QF	3R	2R	3R	1R	QF	QF	3R	1R	A	2R	2R	A	1R	1R	2R	0 / 17
Wimbledon	A	2R	1R	1R	SF	QF	QF	3R	QF	QF	QF	3R	QF	2R	3R	3R	1R	2R	3R	2R	0 / 19
US Open	A	2R	3R	3R	QF	QF	1R	QF	3R	QF	QF	A	SF	SF	1R	1R	2R	3R	2R	1R	0 / 18
SR	0 / 1	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 2	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 2	0 / 3	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 67
Year-end ranking		72	33	28	4	10	16	22	19	14	12	15	15	13	37	50	95	58	29	89

Mixed doubles

Tournament	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	Career SR
Australian Open	NH	QF	1R	A	1R	1R	1R	A	A	QF	2R	SF	A	A	A	A	1R	0 / 9
French Open	1R	F	W	1R	1R	1R	F	2R	3R	2R	A	2R	QF	A	A	A	A	1 / 12
Wimbledon	A	1R	QF	SF	3R	1R	SF	2R	F	3R	3R	3R	2R	1R	2R	2R	A	0 / 15
US Open	1R	2R	1R	A	1R	1R	QF	1R	A	1R	1R	1R	A	A	1R	A	A	0 / 11
SR	0 / 2	0 / 4	1 / 4	0 / 2	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 2	0 / 4	0 / 3	0 / 4	0 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 1	1 / 47

References

1. Johnson, Roy (September 11, 1987). "Winning Started at Home for McNeil". New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
2. "Lori McNeil – National Coach, Women's Tennis". USTA website. Retrieved July 9, 2020.

External links

• Lori McNeil at the Women's Tennis Association
• Lori McNeil at the International Tennis Federation
• Lori McNeil at the Billie Jean King Cup (archived)