Chanda Rubin
Chanda Rubin is an American former top 10 professional tennis player. During her career, she reached the semifinals at the 1996 Australian Open, the quarterfinals of the French Open three times, and had wins over world number ones Serena Williams and Martina Hingis. In doubles, she won the 1996 Australian Open with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and was runner-up at the 1999 US Open with Sandrine Testud.
Early life and family
Rubin was born to Edward D. Rubin, a state judge in Louisiana, and Bernadette Fontenot Rubin. She was the middle child of three siblings. As a child, she was taught the sport of tennis by Nehemiah Atkinson.She married Mireyou Hollier in April 2015 and their daughter was born in October 2016.
In early 2016, her younger brother - Edward Rubin Jr. - died aged 38 at his home in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Tennis career
In 1992, Rubin won the girls' singles title at Wimbledon, and reached a peak ranking of world number 2 in the ITF Junior rankings.Rubin's breakthrough season on the women's tour was 1995. In the third round of the French Open, Rubin came from 0–5, 0–40 down in the third set against Jana Novotná, saving nine match points, before winning 8-6. In the second round of Wimbledon, Rubin defeated Patricia Hy-Boulais 7–6, 6–7, 17–15, the longest women's match in Wimbledon history. At LA Women's Tennis Championships in August, she defeated Gabriela Sabatini and world no. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario on her way to the final.
In 1996, Rubin reached the Australian Open semifinals, defeating Gabriela Sabatini in the fourth round and then Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6–4, 2–6, 16–14 in the quarterfinals. The 48 games played in their quarterfinal are the most for a women's match at the Australian Open. Rubin lost in the semifinals to Monica Seles 6–7, 6–1, 7–5, despite holding a 5–2 lead in the third set. Rubin rose to a career-high ranking of No. 6, after reaching the final of the Lipton Championships in 1996 where she lost to Steffi Graf. However, after fracturing a bone in her right hand in Miami, Rubin underwent surgery and missed the majority of the rest of the season.
Representing the USA, Rubin won the Hopman Cup alongside Justin Gimelstob. She remained undefeated through three ties and the final in her singles matches. At the Linz Open, Rubin defeated world no. 4 Jana Novotna on the way to her first singles title.
In Indian Wells in 1999, Rubin defeated both Amanda Coetzer and world no. 1 Martina Hingis in straight sets on her way to the semifinals. She also won her second career title at the Hobart International.
Rubin underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee in 2001 after the Australian Open, and then suffered a left Achilles tendon injury in April, thereby missing the majority of the season
In 2002, Rubin underwent surgery on her left knee again, missing the first half of the season. In August, she defeated Lindsay Davenport, Jelena Dokic and the world no. 1 Serena Williams on her way to the title in Los Angeles. Her upset of Williams ended the top-ranked player's winning streak of 21 matches, a stretch that had carried Williams through titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.
At the Miami Open in 2003, Rubin beat both Amélie Mauresmo and Justine Henin in straight sets on her way to the semi-finals, after which she peaked again at world no. 6 in the rankings. She reached her third and final French Open quarterfinal, and also won the Eastbourne International title for a second time, defeating Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals and Conchita Martinez in the final. It would be Rubin's last career title.
Rubin missed the majority of the 2004-2006 seasons due to the persistent knee injury. Her last professional match was in October 2006 in Quebec City.
She was inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Post-Retirement
In 2013, Rubin completed a four year Bachelor of Economics degree at Harvard University, graduating cum laude.In recent years, she has developed a career in broadcasting, working for Tennis Channel as a presenter and commentator.
Awards
- 1995: ATA Athlete of the Year
- 1995: TENNIS Magazine Most Improved Player of the Year
- 1995: US Tennis Association Female Athlete of the Year
- 1995: WTA Most Improved Player of the Year
- 1997: Arthur Ashe Leadership Award
- 2002: Family Circle Player Who Makes a Difference Award
- 2003: USTA Service Bowl Award
- 2008: International Lawn Tennis Danzig Trophy
Grand Slam finals
Doubles: 2 (1–1)
WTA career finals
Singles: 19 (7–12)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | November 3, 1991 | Scottsdale, United States | Hard |  Sabine Appelmans | 5–7, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | February 13, 1994 | Chicago, United States | Hard |  Natasha Zvereva | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 3. | June 25, 1995 | Eastbourne, United Kingdom | Grass |  Nathalie Tauziat | 6–3, 0–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 4. | August 13, 1995 | Manhattan Beach, United States | Hard |  Conchita Martínez | 6–4, 1–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 5. | March 30, 1996 | Key Biscayne, United States | Hard |  Steffi Graf | 1–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 1. | February 9, 1997 | Linz, Austria | Hard |  Karina Habšudová | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 6. | November 1, 1998 | Quebec City, Canada | Carpet |  Tara Snyder | 6–4, 4–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 2. | January 17, 1999 | Hobart, Australia | Hard |  Rita Grande | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 7. | November 7, 1999 | Quebec City, Canada | Carpet | Jennifer Capriati | 6–4, 1–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 8. | January 15, 2000 | Hobart, Australia | Hard | Kim Clijsters | 6–2, 2–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 3. | November 5, 2000 | Quebec City, Canada | Carpet | Jennifer Capriati | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 9. | May 25, 2002 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Monica Seles | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 4. | June 22, 2002 | Eastbourne, United Kingdom | Grass |  Anastasia Myskina | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 5. | August 11, 2002 | Los Angeles, United States | Hard | Lindsay Davenport | 5–7, 7–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 6. | May 24, 2003 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | María Sánchez Lorenzo | 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 |
| Winner | 7. | June 21, 2003 | Eastbourne, United Kingdom | Grass | Conchita Martínez | 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 10. | September 14, 2003 | Bali, Indonesia | Hard | Elena Dementieva | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 11. | September 21, 2003 | Shanghai, China | Hard | Elena Dementieva | 3–6, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 12. | October 26, 2003 | Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | Hard | Kim Clijsters | 2–6, 5–7 |
Doubles: 17 (10–7)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Winner | 1. | September 26, 1993 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Lisa Raymond |  Amanda Coetzer Linda Wild | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Winner | 2. | January 16, 1994 | Hobart, Australia | Hard | Linda Wild |  Jenny Byrne Rachel McQuillan | 7–5, 4–6, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 1. | November 6, 1994 | Quebec City, Canada | Carpet | Linda Wild | Elna Reinach Nathalie Tauziat | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 3. | May 14, 1995 | Prague, Czech Republic | Clay | Linda Wild |  Maria Lindström Maria Strandlund | 6–7, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 2. | October 8, 1995 | Zürich, Switzerland | Hard |  Caroline Vis | Nicole Arendt Manon Bollegraf | 4–6, 6–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 4. | January 28, 1996 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández | 7–5, 2–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 5. | February 25, 1996 | Oklahoma City, United States | Hard | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | Katrina Adams Debbie Graham | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 6. | March 17, 1996 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | Julie Halard-Decugis Nathalie Tauziat | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Winner | 7. | April 14, 1996 | Amelia Island, United States | Clay | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | Meredith McGrath  Larisa Neiland | 6–1, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 3. | September 21, 1997 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Julie Halard-Decugis | Monica Seles  Ai Sugiyama | 1–6, 0–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | October 26, 1998 | Quebec City, Canada | Carpet | Sandrine Testud | Lori McNeil Kimberly Po | 7–6, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 5. | September 12, 1999 | US Open | Hard | Sandrine Testud | Serena Williams Venus Williams | 6–4, 1–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 8. | October 10, 1999 | Filderstadt, Germany | Hard | Sandrine Testud | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Larisa Neiland | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 6. | November 14, 1999 | Philadelphia, United States | Carpet | Sandrine Testud | Lisa Raymond Rennae Stubbs | 1–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 9. | July 30, 2000 | Stanford, United States | Hard | Sandrine Testud |  Cara Black Amy Frazier | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Winner | 10. | October 22, 2000 | Linz, Austria | Carpet | Amélie Mauresmo |  Ai Sugiyama Nathalie Tauziat | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 7. | October 28, 2001 | Linz, Austria | Hard | Els Callens |  Jelena Dokić Nadia Petrova | 1–6, 4–6 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
- A=did not participate in the tournament
- SR=the ratio of the number of tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played
Wins over Top 10 players