Katrina Adams on arvau

Wikipedia / Katrina Adams

Katrina M. Adams (born August 5, 1968) is an American tennis executive and former professional tennis player from Chicago. She was the president and CEO of the United States Tennis Association and chair of the US Open, as well as the chair of the International Tennis Federation Fed Cup and Gender Equality in Tennis committees. As a player, Adams was a doubles specialist, reaching the quarterfinal stage or better at all four Grand Slams as well as achieving a career-high doubles ranking of no. 8 (August 1989). Her book, Own the Arena: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One was published in 2021.

Early life

Adams joined a tennis program on Chicago's West Side when she was six years old. She attended Whitney Young High School, becoming the Illinois High School Association's first Chicago Public School and first African American singles champion in 1983 and 1984. While attending Northwestern University, she won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) doubles title with Diane Donnelly in 1987, and was twice voted All-American.

Results

Adams won seven of her 20 WTA doubles titles between 1987 and 1996 partnering Zina Garrison, including the 1988 World Doubles Championships.

Her best Grand Slam singles result was in the 1988 Wimbledon Championships when she reached the fourth round, losing in three sets to Chris Evert. The same year, she was Wimbledon doubles semifinalist with Zina Garrison.

Awards

Adams twice won the annual WTA Player Service Award in 1996 and 1997.

As alumni, in June 2024, Adams will be presented with an honorary degree during Northwestern's 166th Commencement ceremony.

Post-retirement

Adams has been a television commentator for the Tennis Channel since 2003, a regular contributor to CBS Sports Network all-female sports panel We Need to Talk and is also an executive director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program.

In January 2015, Adams became president, chairman and CEO of the United States Tennis Association, becoming the first former professional tennis player, first African-American.

In 2016, Adams became Chairperson of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Fed Cup committee, which governs the Fed Cup.

Adams also serves on the board of directors for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

WTA Tour finals

Singles 2 (0–2)

Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0/0)
WTA Championships (0/0)
Tier I (0/0)
Tier II (0/0)
Tier III (0/0)
Tier IV & V (0/2)
Result	W-L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	Feb 1988	Wellington, New Zealand	Hard	Jill Hetherington	6–1, 6–1
Loss	0–2	Nov 1991	Brentwood, US	Hard (i)	Sabine Appelmans	6–2, 6–4

Doubles 36 (20–16)

Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0/0)
Olympic Gold (0/0)
WTA Championships (0/0)
Virginia Slims (2/0)
Tier I (1/1)
Tier II (4/5)
Tier III (6/4)
Tier IV & V (7/6)
Result	W-L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	Dec 1987	Guarujá, Brazil	Hard	Cheryl Jones	Jill Hetherington Mercedes Paz	6–4, 4–6, 6–4
Win	2–0	Mar 1988	Boca Raton, US	Hard	Zina Garrison	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková	4–6, 7–5, 6–4
Loss	2–1	Apr 1988	Amelia Island, US	Clay	Penny Barg	Zina Garrison Eva Pfaff	6–4, 2–6, 6–7(5–7)
Win	3–1	Apr 1988	Houston, US	Clay	Zina Garrison	Lori McNeil Martina Navratilova	6–7(4–7), 6–2, 6–4
Loss	3–2	Oct 1988	Indianapolis, US	Hard (i)	Zina Garrison	Larisa Savchenko Natasha Zvereva	2–6, 1–6
Win	4–2	Nov 1988	Tokyo, Japan	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Gigi Fernández Robin White	7–5, 7–5
Win	5–2	Jan 1989	Tokyo, Japan	Carpet (i)	Zina Garrison	Mary Joe Fernández Claudia Kohde-Kilsch	6–3, 3–6, 7–6(7–5)
Win	6–2	Feb 1989	San Antonio, US	Hard	Pam Shriver	Patty Fendick Jill Hetherington	3–6, 6–1, 6–4
Win	7–2	Apr 1989	Houston, US	Clay	Zina Garrison	Gigi Fernández Lori McNeil	6–3, 6–4
Win	8–2	May 1989	Geneva, Switzerland	Clay	Lori McNeil	Larisa Savchenko Natalia Zvereva	2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win	9–2	Jun 1989	Eastbourne, UK	Grass	Zina Garrison	Jana Novotná Helena Suková	6–3 ret.
Win	10–2	Oct 1989	Brighton, UK	Carpet	Lori McNeil	Hana Mandlíková Jana Novotná	4–6, 7–6(9–7), 6–4
Win	11–2	Oct 1989	Indianapolis, US	Hard (i)	Lori McNeil	Claudia Porwik Larisa Savchenko	6–4, 6–4
Loss	11–3	Nov 1990	Indianapolis, US	Hard (i)	Jill Hetherington	Patty Fendick Meredith McGrath	1–6, 1–6
Loss	11–4	Feb 1991	Oklahoma City, US	Hard (i)	Jill Hetherington	Meredith McGrath Anne Smith	2–6, 4–6
Loss	11–5	Jul 1991	Westchester, US	Hard	Lori McNeil	Rosalyn Fairbank Lise Gregory	5–7, 4–6
Win	12–5	Aug 1991	Albuquerque, US	Hard	Isabelle Demongeot	Lise Gregory Peanut Louie Harper	6–7(2–7), 6–4, 6–3
Loss	12–6	Nov 1991	Indianapolis, US	Hard (i)	Mercedes Paz	Patty Fendick Gigi Fernández	4–6, 2–6
Loss	12–7	Feb 1992	Chicago, US	Carpet	Zina Garrison	Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver	4–6, 6–7(7–9)
Loss	12–8	Feb 1992	Oklahoma City, US	Hard (i)	Manon Bollegraf	Lori McNeil Nicole Provis	6–3, 4–6, 6–7(6–8)
Win	13–8	Nov 1992	Indianapolis, US	Hard (i)	Elna Reinach	Sandy Collins Mary-Lou Daniels	5–7, 6–2, 6–4
Win	14–8	Feb 1993	Chicago, US	Carpet	Zina Garrison	Amy Frazier Kimberly Po	7–6(9–7), 6–3
Loss	14–9	Feb 1993	Oklahoma City, US	Hard (i)	Manon Bollegraf	Patty Fendick Zina Garrison	3–6, 2–6
Win	15–9	Mar 1993	Houston, US	Clay	Manon Bollegraf	Eugenia Maniokova Radomira Zrubáková	6–3, 5–7, 7–6(9–7)
Loss	15–10	Mar 1993	Hilton Head, US	Clay	Manon Bollegraf	Gigi Fernández Natalia Zvereva	3–6, 1–6
Win	16–10	Nov 1993	Quebec City, Canada	Hard (i)	Manon Bollegraf	Katerina Maleeva Nathalie Tauziat	6–4, 6–4
Win	17–10	Nov 1993	Philadelphia, US	Carpet	Manon Bollegraf	Conchita Martínez Larisa Neiland	6–2, 4–6, 7–6(9–7)
Loss	17–11	Feb 1994	Oklahoma City, US	Hard (i)	Manon Bollegraf	Patty Fendick Meredith McGrath	6–7(3–7), 2–6
Loss	17–12	Mar 1994	Houston, US	Clay	Zina Garrison	Manon Bollegraf Martina Navratilova	4–6, 2–6
Loss	17–13	Feb 1995	Oklahoma City, US	Hard (i)	Brenda Schultz	Nicole Arendt Laura Golarsa	4–6, 3–6
Loss	17–14	Oct 1995	Oakland, US	Carpet	Zina Garrison	Lori McNeil Helena Suková	6–3, 4–6, 3–6
Loss	17–15	Feb 1996	Oklahoma City, US	Hard (i)	Debbie Graham	Chanda Rubin Brenda Schultz-McCarthy	4–6, 3–6
Win	18–15	May 1996	Budapest, Hungary	Clay	Debbie Graham	Radka Bobková Eva Melicharová	6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Win	19–15	May 1996	Cardiff, UK	Clay	Mariaan de Swardt	Els Callens Laurence Courtois	6–0, 6–4
Win	20–15	Jun 1997	Birmingham, UK	Grass	Larisa Neiland	Nathalie Tauziat Linda Wild	6–2, 6–3
Loss	20–16	Jan 1998	Sydney, Australia	Hard	Meredith McGrath	Martina Hingis Helena Suková	1–6, 2–6

ITF finals

Singles (1–1)

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1.	August 3, 1987	Lebanon, United States	Hard	Shaun Stafford	6–3, 1–6, 3–6
Win	2.	January 21, 1991	New Braunfels, United States	Hard	María Luciana Reynares	7–6(7), 2–6, 6–2

Doubles (8–3)

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1.	June 30, 1986	Tampa, United States	Clay	Heliane Steden	Brenda Niemeyer Karen Schimper	4–6, 6–1, 6–3
Win	2.	July 14, 1986	Midland, United States	Clay	Sonia Hahn	Alison Scott Ruth Seeman	2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win	3.	January 5, 1987	Chicago, United States	Hard	Diane Donnelly	Mary Lou Daniels Yvonne Vermaak	6–4, 6–3
Loss	4.	June 15, 1987	Birmingham, United States	Hard	Sonia Hahn	Ingelise Driehuis Lise Gregory	6–7(0), 6–4, 6–2
Win	5.	July 20, 1987	Philadelphia, United States	Hard	Ingelise Driehuis	Kathy Foxworth Tammy Whittington	6–3, 6–4
Win	6.	July 27, 1987	Chatham, United States	Hard	Diane Donnelly	Jennifer Fuchs Robyn Lamb	7–5, 6–3
Win	7.	September 24, 1990	Chicago, United States	Hard	Lynn Nabors	Jill Hetherington Mary Lou Daniels	6–4, 6–4
Loss	8.	January 28, 1991	Midland, United States	Hard	Helen Kelesi	Meredith McGrath Anne Smith	5–7, 5–7
Win	9.	September 23, 1991	Chicago, United States	Hard	Mary Lou Daniels	Beverly Bowes-Hackney Cammy Macgregor	6–4, 6–3
Loss	10.	February 12, 1996	Midland, United States	Hard	Debbie Graham	Angela Lettiere Corina Morariu	6–7, 6–7
Win	11.	October 7, 1996	Sedona, United States	Hard	Debbie Graham	Angela Lettiere Shannan McCarthy	6–4, 6–1