Baltimore, MD
residence:
Brentwood, CA
birthdate:
July 4, 1962
career titles:
21 Singles
112 Doubles
22 Grand Slam Doubles
1988 Olympic Gold Medal Doubles
Best recognized for her career achievements in doubles, American Pam Shriver is one of the game's great ambassadors. Her commitment both on and off the tennis court has earned her the admiration of fans throughout the world and her forthright nature and expressiveness has made her one of the game's great crowd pleasers.
Shriver burst onto the international tennis scene in 1978, when she reached the U.S. Open final as a 16-year-old amateur. During her playing days she consistently ranked among the world's Top 10 players in singles and, with Martina Navratilova, was part of one of the greatest doubles teams of all time. The duo boasted a record 109 consecutive doubles match victories from April 1983 to July of 1985, including the first ever Grand Slam in women’s doubles (1984), earning them the WTA Tour’s Doubles Team of the Year award for nine straight years (1981-1989). Pam won a total of 21 singles titles and 112 doubles championships over the course of her long career, reaching a ranking of No. 3 in the world in singles and No. 1 in doubles. She captured an amazing 22 Grand Slam doubles titles and, in partnership with Zina Garrison, won the 1988 Olympic Gold Doubles Medal in Seoul. She was named the 1991 WTA Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year and swept all three Gold Medals (Singles, Doubles and Mixed) at the 1991 Pan American games in Havana. Shriver was also a member of the victorious 1986, '87 and '89 U.S. Federation Cup teams. These historic career achievements were honored by the tennis world with Pam’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July of 2002.
This Baltimore native is very active in her community and hosts an annual charity tennis exhibition that benefits local children's charities through the Baltimore Community Foundation. Since its inception in 1986, the event has distributed over $3 million to many diverse and needy non-profit organizations. In 1996, Shriver received the Family Circle Magazine Player Who Makes a Difference Award, honoring her outstanding contributions to tennis and her community. She was also presented the WTA Tour's David Gray Service Award for life-long service and commitment to the game.
Pam currently serves as a member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Public Affairs Committee and is also past President of the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation. She is a member of the board of trustees of the Baltimore Community Foundation and the McDonogh School, her alma mater. She is a past president (1991-94) of the Women's Tennis Association and was a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports from 1986-92. In addition to those activities, Pam is a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Honorary Chairman of the Baltimore Tennis Patrons and a Vice President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
An accomplished commentator, Shriver is a tennis analyst for ESPN, ABC, CBS, the BBC and for 7 Sport in Australia and was honored with the Broadcaster of the Year award by the WTA. She is married to actor George Lazenby, and has three children; George Samuel and twins Samuel Robert and Kaitlin Elizabeth.