Stories
Biography
- Achieved a career high singles rank of No.3 (behind Navratilova and Evert) in 1985... Posted eight successive Top 10 seasons from 1977-84... Three-time Grand Slam singles finalist, at 1977 US Open (l. Evert), 1979 Roland Garros (l. Evert) and 1980 Australian Open (l. Mandlikova)... Winner of nine Grand Slam titles, four in women’s doubles and five in mixed doubles... WTA Finals doubles champion in 1986 (w/Mandlikova)... Olympic doubles bronze medalist at 1988 Seoul (w/Smylie)... Served as captain or coach of Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup team from 1985 until 1993, having built a 46-16 record as a player (singles and doubles)... Left school at age 15 and worked in a bank four years while making her way in tennis... Nicknamed Rabbit for her quickness afoot... Made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1984... Inducted into Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009 and is also enshrined in the Queensland Sporting Hall of Fame... In 2014, Brisbane City Council named a large open space in Frew Park the Wendy Turnbull Green... Enjoys playing golf.
Plays
Right-HandedCareer High
3Height
5'4 1/2" (1.64 m)Birthday
Nov 26, 1952 November 26, 1952Birthplace
Brisbane, AustraliaCareer Highlights
SINGLES
Winner (13): 1983 - Boston; 1982 - Brisbane, Richmond; 1981 - Hong Kong; 1980 - Sydney, Hong Kong; 1979 - Detroit, Philadelphia; 1976 - Austrian Open, Kitzbuhel, Tokyo [Japan Open]; 1973 - Rothmans Surrey; 1972 - Norwich.
DOUBLES
WINNER (55): 1989 - Los Angeles (w/Navratilova); 1987 Brisbane (w/Mandlikova), Tampa (w/Evert), Oakland (w/Mandlikova); 1986 - Virginia Slims Championships (w/Mandlikova), Oakland (w/Mandlikova), Houston (w/Evert); 1985 - Oakland (w/Mandlikova), San Diego (w/Reynolds), Newport (w/Evert), New Orleans (w/Evert); 1984 - Los Angeles (w/Evert); 1983 - Brisbane (w/Hobbs), Sydney (w/Hobbs); 1982 - US Open (w/Casals), Seattle (w/Casals), Palm Beach Gardens (w/Casals), Orlando (w/Casals), US Indoors (w/Casals); 1981 - Colgate Series Championships (w/Casals); Oakland (w/Casals), Detroit (w/Casals), Seattle (w/Casals), Hilton Head (w/Casals), Mahwah (w/Casals), Tampa (w/Casals); 1980 - Seattle (w/Casals), Boston (w/Casals), Hong Kong (w/Walsh); 1979 - Roland Garros (w/Stove), US Open (w/Stove), Detroit (w/Stove), Boston (w/Reid), Italian Open (w/Stove), German Open (w/Casals), Chichester (w/Stevens), Eastbourne (w/Stove), Richmond (w/Stove), Atlanta (w/Stove), Phoenix (w/Stove), Stockholm (w/Stove), Melbourne (w/King), Sydney (w/King); 1978 - Wimbledon (w/Reid), Hollywood (w/Casals), Seattle (w/Reid), Philadelphia (w/Reid), US Indoors (w/Reid), Sydney (w/Reid); 1977 - Pensacola (w/Nagelsen), Sao Paulo (w/Reid); 1976 - Swiss Open (w/Nagelsen), West Australian Championships (w/Reid); 1975 - Auckland (w/Goolagong); 1973 - Bournemouth (w/Coleman).
MIXED DOUBLES
WINNER (5): 1984 - Wimbledon (w/Lloyd); 1983 - Wimbledon (w/Lloyd); 1982 - Roland Garros (w/Lloyd); 1980 - US Open (w/Riessen); 1979 - Roland Garros(w/Hewitt).
SENIOR MIXED DOUBLES
WINNER (9): 1994 - Wimbledon (w/Wade); 1992 - Wimbledon (w/Wade), US Open (w/Wade); 1991 - Wimbledon (w/Wade);1990 - Wimbledon (w/Wade), Light n' Lively Legends (w/Casals); 1989 - US Open (w/Wade); 1988 - US Open (w/Walsh-Pete); 1987 - US Open (w/Walsh-Pete).
SENIOR MIXED DOUBLES
WINNER (4): 1993 - Australian Open (w/Crealy); 1992 - Australian Open (w/Stone), US Open (w/Reissen); 1991 - US Open (w/Hewitt).
ADDITIONAL
Australian Fed Cup Team (player 1977-88; coach/captain 1985-92). Australian Olympic Team (player in Seoul, Korea 1988; coach of women's team in Barcelona, Spain 1992).
Career in Review