Трейси Остин: Американдық теннис жұлдызының өмір жолы

American tennis player

Tracy Ann Austin Holt (born December 12, 1962) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. She won three major titles, the women's singles titles at the 1979 and 1981 US Opens, and the mixed doubles title at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships. Additionally, she won the WTA Tour Championships in 1980 and the year ending Toyota Championships in 1981, both in singles. Austin remains the youngest US Open female singles champion (age 16) and the youngest inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame at age 29. She won 30 singles titles during her career, on all playing surfaces: clay (both red and green), indoor carpet, grass, and hard courts. A series of injuries and a serious automobile accident in 1989 cut short her career.

Tracy Austin was born December 12, 1962, in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. Her parents were George and Jeanne Austin.

In January 1977, a month after turning fourteen, Austin won her first professional singles title, defeating Stacy Margolin at the Avon Futures event in Portland. As an amateur she could not accept the prize money. Less than two months before her sixteenth birthday, Austin turned professional in October 1978. That same month, she won her first professional singles title, defeating Betty Stöve in the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt, West Germany. Austin followed up with tournament wins in Tokyo and Washington, defeating Martina Navratilova in both finals. She defeated 35 year old Billie Jean King in the quarterfinals of the 1979 Wimbledon Championships, then lost to eventual champion Navratilova in straight sets in the semifinals. In September, Austin became the youngest ever US Open champion, aged 16 years and 9 months, by defeating second seeded Navratilova in the semifinals and top seed Chris Evert in the final. Austin lost in the semifinals of both Grand Slam tournaments she played in 1980. Evonne Goolagong Cawley, seeded fourth and the eventual champion, defeated Austin at the Wimbledon Championships. As the top seed and defending champion at the US Open, Austin was expected to extend her five match winning streak against third ranked Evert. Austin took a 4–0 lead in the first set before Evert won 16 of the final 20 games to win the match. Evert went on to defeat Hana Mandlíková in the final. Austin was ranked the world No. 1 singles player in 1980 for two weeks (April 7–20) and then for 19 weeks (July 7 November 17), partly because she captured the two tour ending events. Austin defeated Navratilova to win the Avon Championships in March and Andrea Jaeger to capture the 1980 Colgate Series Championships in January 1981. In 1980, Austin won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with her brother John, becoming the first brother and sister team to win a Grand Slam title together. The Associated Press named Austin its 1981 Female Athlete of the Year for the second time. Austin was the first opponent of Steffi Graf when the German made her professional debut at the 1982 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Austin defeated the 13 year old Graf 6–4, 6–0. Back injuries and recurring sciatica then began to impair Austin's effectiveness and sidelined her for long stretches. Billie Jean King, seeded twelfth, upset third seeded Austin in the 1982 Wimbledon quarterfinals. Several weeks later, however, Austin won her 30th and final top level singles title in San Diego. Austin had a good showing at the 1982 season ending Toyota Series Championships where she defeated Jaeger, the world No. 3, in straight sets to reach the semifinals. However, she was unable to repeat 1981's victory over Evert, who defeated her in the semifinals. In 1983, she was the runner up at the Family Circle Cup, losing the final to Navratilova in three sets. She also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Austin played sporadically from 1984 to 1987 and tried yet another comeback on the tour in 1988 when she played in seven doubles tournaments, and in 1989, when she played in one doubles and two singles tournaments. A highlight of this comeback included a semifinal showing in the 1988 US Open mixed doubles with partner Ken Flach. This comeback was ended by a near fatal motor vehicle accident in Millburn, New Jersey, on August 3, 1989. A van coming from the opposite direction crashed into her vehicle's driver side, and she suffered a bruised heart, a bruised spleen, a sprained back and a shattered knee.

In 1992, Austin became the youngest person to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, at the age of 29.

Austin possessed a solid baseline game, with a strong flat hit forehand and reliable two handed backhand. Austin's first serve was a mid paced high percentage shot that functioned well on all playing surfaces, and although her second serve has been described as lacking penetration, she rarely double faulted.

Since retiring as a player, Austin has worked as a commentator for NBC and the USA Network for the French Open and the US Open. During the 2000s, she worked for the Seven Network, which broadcast the Australian Open and usually participates in the BBC's Wimbledon coverage. She began working for the Tennis Channel in 2010 and joined its US Open team and later its Australian Open team in 2012. Austin has worked for Canadian television for its coverage of the Rogers Cup since 2004.

Austin is married to Scott Holt and is the mother of three sons: Sean, Brandon, and Dylan. Brandon Holt is also a professional tennis player and was previously a member of the USC tennis team. Austin's older sister Pam and her brothers Jeff, Doug and John were professional tennis players. She is the sister in law of fitness author Denise Austin, who is married to Jeff.