Biofile with Alexandra Stevenson

Status: Professional tennis player. 1999 Wimbledon semifinalist. Winner of one WTA doubles title (with Serena Williams in Leipzig in 2002). 1999 Pan-American Games bronze medalist in singles. Member of 2000 U.S. Hopman Cup team.

First tennis memory: With Angel Lopez, head pro at the San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club. I was four and he let me climb up into his big black tennis basket. I had rainbow racket strings and a white dress with pink gingham pockets. At that same club a couple of years later, I met Steffi Graf and Ted Tinling (tennis apparel design legend). I was left with a grand impression of Tinling. He talked to me about my tennis dress and how I could put sparkles on it.

Tennis inspirations: My mom, Samantha, used to put inspirational quotes every week on the refrigerator from her favorite athletes and coaches, many of whom she had interviewed as a correspondent for The New York Times — George Allen, Red Auerbach, Tom Landry, Billy Martin. She would switch them out, except for one — Vince Lombardi – those quotes never came down. And when I began traveling as a tennis professional, she would stick index cards with quotes from The Bible.

Last book read: Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and “Hamlet” – also “Sanford Meisner on Acting.” Sanford Meisner was a great acting coach who worked with the likes of Sandra Bullock, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall and Gregory Peck. I always have three books going at a time.

Hobbies/leisure activities: Dancing, movies, surfing, sewing, designing and drawing.

First famous tennis player you met: Arthur Ashe. He was commentating at an exhibition event at the Riviera Tennis Club in Los Angeles when I was seven. My mother was covering the event. I also met Bjorn Borg and Vitas Gerulaitis. But it was Arthur who left the biggest impression. He talked to me about school and friends. Later, he called our house and talked to me about playing tennis and concentrating on school. He told me it was important to play my sport, but more important to get an education for life. I never forgot that call. I graduated from La Jolla Country Day School with honors in 1999. In 2001 I entered the University of Colorado – while playing professional tennis – and graduated with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts/Sociology in 2007 on the Dean’s List.
My mom felt that I should meet the older legends of the game – to understand my sport. Ellsworth Vines drove me in a golf cart at La Quinta and went on the court to hit a couple of balls with me. It was the first time he had been on the court in years. I was eight years old. He was doing dialysis at the time and had moments of energy. The next year, Bobby Riggs came to my court and put out hundred dollar bills as targets. If I hit it, I got to keep it – but he made the drills so I never got it. Don Budge came to my high school courts at La Jolla Country Day – – and waited for me until after class to work on my one-handed backhand. He wanted me to move my thumb down. He was very interested in my game. As a teenager, I met and talked with the great ones – (Rod) Laver, (Ken) Rosewall, (Roy) Emerson. As a professional, I spent time with Margaret Court in Perth. Through the years, Pancho Segura always found time to work with me in San Diego. By the time I was a professional, I understood the history of my sport and I cared about the ones who came before me.

Current tennis racquet and why it’s better for your game than the last one: The new DonnayX-Series. During my career I played with small racquet heads – 90 inches. First, Head (Ivanisevic 600 Prestige), Dunlop, then back to Head, and then after shoulder surgery, the Wilson Six.OneTour Federer racquet. It was important for me to gain my motion and strength back with a small racquet head. I did gain everything back, but I found I was doing all of the work and I wasn’t getting much help from the racquet. I was fatiguing late in the tournaments. At the end of 2010, I asked the racquet-customizer-to-the-stars Roman Prokes for help. He gave suggestions and then told me about a new Donnay he had helped design. He thought it would help the fatigue factor and do more for my game. My new Donnay has a bigger head (94 inches), and gives me more power and spin, along with a good feel. And, I asked the design team for a white racquet with hot pink grommets. They designed a racquet that looks like a sleek race car. It does everything I need.

Greatest career moment: I haven’t had it yet.

Most painful career moment: The decision in Dr. James Andrews office to have shoulder surgery for a labral tear in my right shoulder on September 21, 2004. Like a baseball pitcher, I depend on my arm for my serve. I was known for my first serve in the 120s and my fast second serve 108-115 mph. I had this overwhelming feeling of sadness – for the impending surgery, for my arm, for my future. But, like most professional athletes I began asking questions for the end result – how was I going to get back on the tennis court? I remember asking Dr. Andrews if I could meet the doctor who would put me under on the operating table. I wanted to make sure I would wake up. Dr. Andrews did as much explaining as he could – about the torn labrum and how he was going to put plastic in my shoulder and reattach it. I asked him if he would do the operation with his partners, Dr. Jeff Dugas and Dr. Lyle Cain. He agreed. He talked to me about his quarterbacks and how they came back within 9-18 months. I reminded him that I had to hit a tennis ball pretty hard. When I woke up from the surgery I had the worst pain you can imagine. When my rehab took a lot of twists and turns, I remembered that pain and I worked harder.

Favorite tournaments: The four Grand Slams.

Closest tennis friends: Venus and Serena Williams.

Funniest player encountered: Francesca Schiavone.

Toughest competitor encountered: Monica Seles.

Strangest match: Against Jelena Dokic in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 1999. We were on Court 2 – it was called the Graveyard Court because so many top players went down on it. I won the first set easily 6-1. There were two rain delays. I was down 5-1 and the rain came. Two more rain delays. The next day we both knew that the girl who won the match would make history. No woman had gone from qualifying to the semifinals. John McEnroe was the only man to accomplish this feat. Because my mother was a journalist, I knew the history of the moment. I was also told that morning about the reporter who was releasing my birth certificate to the world. I was more interested in beating Dokic. I beat her the next day 6-3 and made history.

Funny tennis memory: I went to an award ceremony for Robert Lansdorp when I was a Junior player. He was my childhood coach. I sat at a table with Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, and Ken Rosewall. They told me about the famous Laver-Rosewall five set match – and Emerson told many stories. Laver knew I was going to the Australian Open for the first time. He told me about using cabbage inside his hat when he was playing in the hot Australia summers. He said it helps your brain breathe and keeps you feeling cool. So my mom bought a cold chest and cabbage leaves. She made three hats with cabbage inside. The only thing Mr. Laver didn’t tell me about – the flies. And the flies loved my cabbage. They were buzzing around my head during my match. I figured it out and threw the cabbage away. Later, I told him about the flies and he laughed, surprised that I used his cabbage trick – but he insisted it worked for him.

Embarrassing tennis memory: I haven’t had one.

Favorite sport outside tennis: Surfing and ice skating.

Favorite tennis players to watch: Stefan Edberg – especially in my early career. Rafael Nadal. Margaret Court – her old videos, and I spent time with her at Hopman Cup in 2000. Steffi Graf – I would have played her in the finals of Wimbledon if I had beaten Lindsay Davenport in ‘99. She retired after the match. Disappointed that I missed playing her by one match.

Favorite ice cream flavor: I don’t eat ice cream because of dairy, but I do eat coconut milk ice cream – vanilla and chocolate.

Of all the matches you played what was the best you think you ever played-the best you ever felt on court: When I beat Jennifer Capriati in the first round of Linz in 2002, the year I reached No. 18 in the world. Jennifer was #1 in the world and I beat her, 6-1 6-2. I beat her two weeks before in Stuttgart in three sets. Both indoor events.

People qualities most admired: Honest. Creative. Adventurous. Intelligent.

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