The Open Era
France · born Versailles, 1970 · right-handed · three grass singles titles in three years and world No. 1 in doubles
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3
Grass singles titles in three successive summers, 1998 to 2000
12
WTA singles titles
No. 7
Career-high singles ranking, February 2000
No. 1
Doubles ranking, September 2000, the first Frenchwoman of the Open Era to reach it
2000
Wimbledon doubles final with Ai Sugiyama
Julie Halard was born in Versailles in 1970 and began playing at seven. She reached the Wimbledon girls' singles final in 1987, losing to Natasha Zvereva, and won the French Open junior title in 1988. She turned professional in 1986, won her first WTA title in Puerto Rico in 1991 and in 1995 married her coach, Arnaud Decugis, who had worked with her since 1989. A wrist injury in a Fed Cup semi-final against Spain cut short her 1996 season, and she played only two events late in 1997.
Her best years came at the end. She won on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch in 1998, Birmingham in 1999 and Eastbourne in 2000, reached the top 10 in 1999 and a career-high No. 7 in February 2000. In 2000, partnering Ai Sugiyama, she reached the Wimbledon doubles final, won the US Open and rose to No. 1 in doubles. She retired at the end of that season with 12 singles and 15 doubles titles.
| 's-Hertogenbosch 1998 | Beat Miriam Oremans 6-3, 6-4 in the final. The title completed a set of singles titles on all four surfaces |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | 1998: doubles title with Els Callens, beating Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; the singles that year was abandoned after the quarter-finals because of rain. 1999: singles title, beating Nathalie Tauziat 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 |
| Eastbourne 2000 | Beat Dominique Van Roost 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in the final, her last title on grass |
| Wimbledon | Girls' singles final 1987, lost to Natasha Zvereva 6-4, 6-4. Best in the women's singles: fourth round, 1992. Doubles final 2000 with Ai Sugiyama, lost to Serena and Venus Williams 6-3, 6-2 |
| Birmingham | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Women's doubles | with Els Callens |
| 1999 | Women's singles | |
| 's-Hertogenbosch (Rosmalen) | ||
| 1998 | Women's singles Rosmalen Grass Court Championships | |
| Eastbourne | ||
| 2000 | Women's singles | |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
The person behind the player.
Rosmalen, June 1998
Her 6-3, 6-4 win over Miriam Oremans in the 's-Hertogenbosch final gave her a title on grass to add to those on hard, clay and carpet, making her the 20th player of the Open Era to win singles titles on all four surfaces.
Source: WikipediaNew York, September 2000
She and Ai Sugiyama won the US Open doubles on her 30th birthday, beating Cara Black and Elena Likhovtseva 6-0, 1-6, 6-1. It was her only Grand Slam title as a professional, and the next day's rankings made her the world No. 1 in doubles.
Source: WikipediaOff court
The WTA's player biography lists her interests as mountaineering, painting and classical music. She climbed to the summit of Mont Blanc and restored a chalet built in 1834 in the French Alps.
Source: WTAFed Cup, 1997
She represented France in the Fed Cup from 1990 to 2000, and according to the WTA she helped get Yannick Noah appointed as France's Fed Cup captain in 1997 and 1998.
Source: WTANovember 1999
When she entered the top 10 in 1999 she became the fifth Frenchwoman to do so. From 15 November 1999 to 9 January 2000 France had four women in the top 10 at the same time, a first for the country.
Source: WikipediaFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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