![]() ![]() Olympic team were very controversial in Puerto Rico. Her decision to play for the United States as part of the Federation Cup team and her decision to play for the U.S. Federation Cup team eight times (1988, 1990-1992, 1994-1996) and won a second gold medal in the 1996 Olympics as a member of the U.S. Her success, however, has not been without controversy. Open doubles title, and was a finalist in the Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles and mixed doubles as well as the U.S. In 1995 she won her fifth consecutive Roland Garros doubles title, the U.S. By the time Fernandez retired in 1997, she had won at least one doubles grand slam title every year since 1988 (except 1989). In two years (1992-93) they won six grand slams, the second longest streak in the history of the sport. In 1992 she began to play with Natasha Zvereva, her third and filial doubles partner, with whom she won the most championships. ![]() Olympic Committee named her Female Athlete of the Year after her 1993 performances at the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. She and Mary Joe Fernández (no relation) captured the gold medal in women's doubles during the 1992 Olympics, beating Spanish favorites Conchita Martínez and Arantxa Sánchez. By 1991 she was ranked number one in the world in doubles. Two years later, she teamed with Navratilova and repeated the U.S. In Puerto Rico she was named Puerto Rican Female Athlete of the Year. ![]() In 1988 her career began to look up when she teamed with fellow tennis player Robin White together they took the U.S. Among them is tennis star Martina Navratilova, whom she credits with guiding her career with positive advice and, later, an opportunity to play doubles. Although her family and her talent were instrumental at the beginning of her career, Fernández acknowledges that there were others who have influenced and mentored her career. During the mid-1980s, she became undisciplined and was prone to outbursts on the courts resulting in the loss of many matches and payment of fines. ![]()
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