The file of being the youngest US Open debutant belongs to Kathleen “Kathy” Horvath, who performed her first essential draw at Flushing Meadows in 1979 on the age of 14 years 5 days.
Horvath made it to the primary draw after profitable all three matches within the qualifying spherical. On her 14th birthday, she defeated Frenchwoman Brigitte Simon-Glinel 6-4, 6-4 earlier than taking down Anne Chevalier, Glinel’s compatriot, 6-3, 6-0 within the second spherical. Horvath beat Czech participant Yvona Brzakova, an opponent 12 years older than her, 6-3, 6-2 to ebook her spot in the primary draw and create historical past.
Whereas she did lose 6-7, 2-6 to Australia’s Dianne Balestrat within the first-ever essential draw match at a Main, she set a file that also stands. In the identical version, Tracy Austin turned the youngest US Open champion on the age of 16 years, eight months and 28 days, defeating four-time defending champion Chris Evert, 6-4, 6-3, in an all-American remaining.
Coached by Harry Hopman and Nick Bollettieri, Horvath gained six titles and reached a career-high rating of 10.
She can also be remembered for an additional achievement other than her US Open debut as a young person. On the French Open in 1983, she managed to upset defending champion Martina Navratilova 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 within the fourth spherical. It was Navratilova’s solely loss in your complete season during which she gained 86 matches however that defeat to the American prevented her from finishing the Grand Slam.
Horvath retired from skilled tennis in 1989 and earned undergraduate and MBA levels from the College of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Faculty of Enterprise after which labored in finance at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.