Andrea Jaeger

Andrea Jaeger (/ˈjeɪɡər/ YAY-gər; born June 4, 1965) is a former World No. 2 professional tennis player from the United States whose brief but highly successful tennis career ended prematurely due to major shoulder injuries. Jaeger reached the singles final of Wimbledon in 1983 and the French Open in 1982. She reached the singles semifinals of the Australian Open in 1982 and of the U.S. Open in 1980 and 1982. She also won 10 singles titles. In mixed doubles, Jaeger won the French Open with Jimmy Arias in 1981. During her career, Jaeger won U.S. $1.4 million in prize money and millions more in endorsements. After retirement in 1987, she has prominently dedicated her life to public service, charities, and philanthropy. In 2006, she became "Sister Andrea" as a member of the Anglican Order of Preachers. She is a member of the Episcopal Church and based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, U.S.[3]

Andrea Jaeger
Jaeger in 1981
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceSanta Rosa Beach, Florida
Born (1965-06-04) June 4, 1965
Chicago, Illinois
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Turned pro1980
Retired1985
PlaysRight-handed (two handed-backhand)
Prize moneyUS$ 1,379,065[1]
Singles
Career record260–85[1]
Career titles10
Highest rankingNo. 2 (August 17, 1981)[2]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenSF (1982)
French OpenF (1982)
WimbledonF (1983)
US OpenSF (1980, 1982)
Doubles
Career record47–38[1]
Career titles4
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open3R (1981, 1982)
French OpenQF (1982)
Wimbledon3R (1981)
US OpenSF (1980)
Mixed doubles
Career titles1
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
French OpenW (1981)
Wimbledon1R (1980, 1983)

Tennis career

While a student at Stevenson High School in suburban Chicago, Jaeger was the top ranked player in the United States in the 18-and-under age group. She won 13 U.S. national junior titles, including the most prominent junior titles in tennis: the 1979 Orange Bowl and 1979 Boca Raton.

In 1980 (at the age of 15 years, 19 days), she became the youngest player ever to be seeded at Wimbledon,[4] a record that was broken by Jennifer Capriati in 1990. After defeating former champion Virginia Wade, she became the youngest quarter-finalist in the history of the tournament.[5] Later in the year, she became the youngest semifinalist in US Open history.

In 1981, Jaeger won the U.S. Clay Court Championships, defeating Virginia Ruzici in the final.

At the French Open in 1982, Jaeger defeated Chris Evert in a semifinal 6–3, 6–1 but lost the final to Martina Navratilova. She then reached the semifinals of both the US Open and the Australian Open, losing both matches to Evert in straight sets.

At Wimbledon in 1983, Jaeger defeated six-time Wimbledon singles champion Billie Jean King 6–1, 6–1 in a semifinal on Centre Court, which was King's last career singles match at that tournament and her most lopsided singles defeat ever at Wimbledon.[6] Jaeger then lost the final to Navratilova. In 2003, Jaeger said that the night before the final, she had a heated argument with her father[7] over practicing and was locked out of her apartment by him. Eventually, Jaeger asked Navratilova to convince her father to let her back in. She stated that emotional fatigue might have contributed to her lackluster performance in the final.[7] On July 4, 2008, Jaeger claimed in the British paper The Daily Mail that she threw the final against Navratilova.[8]

Jaeger competed in the tennis demonstration event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles (tennis was re-introduced as an Olympic sport in 1988). In 2006, Jaeger exchanged gifts with an Army Ranger serving in the Iraq War. He gave her his dog tags, and she gave him her Olympic ring.[9]

Jaeger's career win-loss record against other top players was 3–17 against Evert, 4–11 against Navratilova, 2–8 against Tracy Austin, 6–8 against Hana Mandlíková, and 2–4 against Pam Shriver.

In an interview in 2003, Jaeger stated that she was never committed to being the top ranked player in the world and tanked matches to avoid the top spot.[10][11] As she rose toward the top of the game, she started visiting hospitals during tournaments. She stated that she found it, in the words of a USA Today columnist, "difficult to reconcile the narrow-minded focus of a top tennis player with her desire to help others."[12]

Jaeger won eight of the nine singles matches she played for the U.S. in Fed Cup. She also won two of the three Wightman Cup singles matches she played for the U.S.[13]

A major shoulder injury at the age of 19 ended Jaeger's career prematurely in 1985. Seeing this career-ending injury as a door to a spiritual awakening, she went to college and obtained a degree in theology.

Philanthropy

Jaeger used her winnings from tennis to create the Silver Lining Foundation with her close friend and business partner Heidi Bookout in 1990. Located in Aspen, Colorado, the organization transported groups of young cancer patients to Aspen for a week of support and activities, including horseback riding and whitewater rafting. The foundation also provided money for reunions, family campouts, college scholarships, medical internships, and other programs for children who could not travel. The organization had other powerful backers, both in the world of sports and elsewhere. The first contributor was John McEnroe. Many high-profile celebrities were also involved, including Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and David Robinson. In 1996, Jaeger received the Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Under, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[14]

Jaeger's autobiography, First Service, was published in 2004. In the book she wrote about her teenage years as a tennis player and her later decision to focus on serving God. All proceeds from the book were donated to children's charities.

Jaeger later established the "Little Star Foundation", claiming to reach on average 4,000 kids annually. Jaeger ran into financial issues with the nonprofit in 2009. As a result, she tried to sell the foundation’s property in Aspen for $13.5 million, but neighbors said she was breaking homeowners association covenants, which resulted in a lawsuit. She moved to a much larger 220-acre (0.89 km2) property in Hesperus, Colorado, where she claimed she would expand her programs.[12] Ms. Jaeger sold the ranch to an unknown buyer in November of 2018. In January of 2019, the State of Colorado revoked Little Star Foundation's property tax exemption on the basis that an investigation had revealed that the group had falsified records, and had never actually conducted any charitable activities since relocating to Hesperus. [15]

On September 16, 2006, at the age of 41, Jaeger became Sister Andrea, an Anglican Dominican nun.[16] She reportedly left the order in 2009.[17]

In April 2007, Jaeger and several former athletes, including Andre Agassi, Lance Armstrong, Tony Hawk, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Muhammad Ali, appeared on the American morning television talk show Good Morning America to announce their formation of a new charity entitled "Athletes for Hope" with the goal of encouraging their fellow athletes to think philanthropically.[18][19]

As of Early 2020, Ms. Jaeger has relocated to Florida and continues to fundraise.

Major finals

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 2 runner-ups
Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up1982French OpenClay Martina Navratilova6–7(6–8), 1–6
Runner-up1983WimbledonGrass Martina Navratilova0–6, 3–6

Mixed doubles: 1 title
Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner1981French OpenClay Jimmy Arias Betty Stöve
Fred McNair		7–6, 6–4

Year-End Championships finals

Singles: 1 runner-up
Outcome Year Location Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up1981New York CityCarpet (I) Martina Navratilova3–6, 6–7(3–7)

WTA career finals

Singles: 36 (10–26)
Winner — Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–2)
WTA Tour Championships (0–1)
Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (10–23)
Titles by Surface
Hard (3–7)
Grass (1–3)
Clay (2–9)
Carpet (4–7)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1. January 14, 1980 Las Vegas Hard (i) Barbara Potter 7–6, 4–6, 6–1
Runner-up 1. March 31, 1980 Edmond Clay Regina Maršíková 2–6, 2–6
Winner 2. June 2, 1980 Beckenham Grass Jo Durie 6–0, 6–1
Runner-up 2. August 4, 1980 Indianapolis Clay Chris Evert-Lloyd 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up 3. August 18, 1980 Mahwah Hard Hana Mandlíková 7–6(7–0), 2–6, 2–6
Winner 3. September 15, 1980 Las Vegas Hard (i) Hana Mandlíková 7–5, 4–6, 6–3
Runner-up 4. October 13, 1980 Deerfield Beach Hard Chris Evert-Lloyd 4–6, 1–6
Winner 4. November 10, 1980 Tampa Hard Tracy Austin w/o
Runner-up 5. January 7, 1981 Landover Carpet (i) Tracy Austin 2–6, 2–6
Winner 5. January 12, 1981 Kansas City Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 3–6, 6–3, 7–5
Winner 6. February 9, 1981 Oakland Carpet (i) Virginia Wade 6–3, 6–1
Runner-up 6. March 2, 1981 Los Angeles Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 4–6, 0–6
Runner-up 7. March 22, 1981 Avon Championships Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 3–6, 6–7(3–7)
Runner-up 8. April 27, 1981 Orlando Clay Martina Navratilova 5–7, 3–6
Runner-up 9. June 15, 1981 Eastbourne Grass Tracy Austin 3–6, 4–6
Winner 7. August 3, 1981 Indianapolis Clay Virginia Ruzici 6–1, 6–0
Runner-up 10. October 12, 1981 Deerfield Beach Hard Chris Evert-Lloyd 6–4, 3–6, 0–6
Runner-up 11. November 16, 1981 Perth Grass Pam Shriver 1–6, 6–7
Runner-up 12. January 18, 1982 Seattle Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 2–6, 0–6
Winner 8. February 1, 1982 Detroit Carpet (i) Mima Jaušovec 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
Winner 9. February 22, 1982 Oakland Carpet (i) Chris Evert-Lloyd 7–6(7–5), 6–4
Runner-up 13. April 3, 1982 Palm Beach Gardens Clay Chris Evert-Lloyd 1–6, 5–7
Runner-up 14. April 5, 1982 Hilton Head Island Clay Martina Navratilova 4–6, 2–6
Runner-up 15. April 19, 1982 Amelia Island Clay Chris Evert-Lloyd 3–6, 1–6
Runner-up 16. May 24, 1982 French Open Clay Martina Navratilova 6–7(6–8), 1–6
Runner-up 17. August 15, 1982 Montreal Hard Martina Navratilova 3–6, 5–7
Runner-up 18. October 4, 1982 Deerfield Beach Hard Chris Evert-Lloyd 1–6, 1–6
Runner-up 19. October 11, 1982 Tampa Hard Chris Evert-Lloyd 6–3, 1–6, 4–6
Runner-up 20. November 15, 1982 Tokyo Carpet (i) Chris Evert-Lloyd 3–6, 2–6
Winner 10. January 22, 1983 Marco Island Clay Hana Mandlíková 6–1, 6–3
Runner-up 21. January 30, 1983 Palm Beach Gardens Clay Chris Evert-Lloyd 3–6, 3–6
Runner-up 22. February 14, 1983 Chicago Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 3–6, 2–6
Runner-up 23. April 18, 1983 Orlando Clay Martina Navratilova 1–6, 5–7
Runner-up 24. June 20, 1983 Wimbledon Grass Martina Navratilova 0–6, 3–6
Runner-up 25. September 18, 1983 Tokyo Carpet (i) Lisa Bonder 2–6, 7–5, 1–6
Runner-up 26. April 30, 1984 Johannesburg Hard (i) Chris Evert-Lloyd 3–6, 0–6

Doubles: 6 (4–2)
Winner — Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
WTA Tour Championships (0–0)
Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (4–2)
Titles by Surface
Hard (3–0)
Grass (0–0)
Clay (1–2)
Carpet (0–0)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1. August 11, 1980 Toronto Hard Regina Maršíková Ann Kiyomura
Betsy Nagelsen		 6–1, 6–3
Winner 2. October 13, 1980 Deerfield Beach Hard Regina Maršíková Martina Navratilova
Candy Reynolds		 1–6, 6–1, 6–2
Winner 3. January 22, 1983 Marco Island Clay Mary-Lou Piatek Rosie Casals
Wendy Turnbull		 7–5, 6–4
Runner-up 1. April 4, 1983 Hilton Head Island Clay Paula Smith Martina Navratilova
Candy Reynolds		 2–6, 3–6
Winner 4. August 15, 1983 Toronto Hard Anne Hobbs Rosalyn Fairbank
Candy Reynolds		 6–4, 5–7, 7–5
Runner-up 2. January 23, 1984 Marco Island Clay Anne Hobbs Hana Mandlíková
Helena Suková		 6–3, 2–6, 2–6

Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
Tournament1979198019811982198319841985Career SR
Australian Open A A QF SF A A A 0 / 2
French Open A 1R SF F SF 1R 2R 0 / 6
Wimbledon A QF 4R 4R F A A 0 / 4
U.S. Open 2R SF 2R SF QF A 2R 0 / 6
SR 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 18
Year End Ranking NR 7 4 3 3 42 NR

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number played.

See also

References
  1. Andrea Jaeger at the Women's Tennis Association
  2. Andrea Jaeger at the International Tennis Federation
  3. Jaeger finds joy in serving others
  4. Tingay, Lance (1983). The Guinness Book of Tennis Facts & Feats. Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives. p. 41. ISBN 0-85112-289-2.
  5. The Daily News – June 1980
  6. Billie Jean King Archived 2007-02-25 at the Wayback Machine. wimbledon.org.
  7. Daily Times (Pakistan)
  8. EXCLUSIVE: Jaeger's confession – I let Martina win the title
  9. From tennis to nunhood to Making a Difference – Making a Difference – nbcnews.com
  10. Sister Andrea Jaeger «Tennis served fresh»
  11. Barry McDermott (April 9, 1984). "Oh, were it ony the racket". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 60 no. 15. pp. 34–44.
  12. USATODAY.com
  13. Tingay, Lance (1983). The Guinness book of tennis facts & feats. Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives. p. 203. ISBN 0-85112-289-2.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2013-08-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. https://the-journal.com/articles/167485
  16. Patrick Saunders (31 January 2008). "Jaeger finds joy in serving others". The Denver Post. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  17. Futterman, Matthew (August 27, 2010). "Where Are They Now?". The Wall Street Journal.
  18. 'Athletes for Hope' Unite for Charity
  19. Athletes for Hope
Awards
Preceded by
Kathy Jordan		 WTA Newcomer of the Year
1980		 Succeeded by
Kathy Rinaldi
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