Mary Joe Fernandez Named Honorary Chair of 50th Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship.

Mary Joe Fernandez at the 1983 Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship.

(Coral Gables, September 2011) - The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship Committee is proud to announce that tennis star Mary Joe Fernández will serve as the world-renowned tournament’s 50^th Anniversary Honorary Chair.

Mary Joe Fernández first came to the tennis world's attention as an outstanding junior player who won four straight junior titles, starting with the Junior Orange Bowl. In 1985, at 14 years old, she became the youngest player to win a main draw match at the U.S. Open. Fernández turned professional in 1986 and finished 1990 ranked a career-high World No. 4 in singles. Her other career highlights include a 1992 Women's Doubles title at the Australian Open, two Women’s Doubles Olympic Gold Medals (1992 and 1996), a Women’s Singles Olympic Bronze Medal (1992), and a Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open (1996). Fernández retired from the tour in 2000, having won seven Women’s Singles titles, seventeen WTADoubles titles, and two ITFWomen's Doubles titles.  She was named Coach of the US Fed Cup team in December of 2007, and in 2009 was advanced to Captain.  She is currently an analyst on tennis events for ESPN.

“Participating in the Junior Orange Bowl prepared me for my professional tennis career by matching me with players like Graf, Maleeva, and Sabatini at 9 to 11 years old.”, Fernández says, “In fact, winning the Junior Orange Bowl twice earlier, and the Orange Bowl in the 18’s is what inspired me to turn pro. The Junior Orange Bowl will always hold a special place in my heart and I am proud to be its Honorary Chair.”

The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship has consistently drawn talented players who have gone on to gain international recognition in the professional circuit including Andre Agassi, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, Andy Roddick, Monica Seles and many more. The tournament, which is considered to be one of the most prestigious junior tennis tournaments in the world, draws participants from seventy-four countries and is open to top-ranked ‘12 and under’ and ‘14 and under’ male and female players worldwide.