Jeff Tarango
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Gail Tarango (born 20 November 1968, Manhattan Beach, California
) is a retired American
professional tennis
player. He was a top ten doubles player and a French Open doubles runner up, but is mostly remembered for defaulting a match at Wimbledon and his wife assaulting the umpire once Tarango had left the court.
where he won two NCAA
team titles. During his career, he won 2 top-level professional singles titles and 14 doubles titles. His career-high world rankings were World No. 42 in singles and No. 10 in doubles. He was runner-up in the men's doubles at the 1999 French Open (partnering Goran Ivanišević
).
The most famous incident involving Tarango came at Wimbledon in 1995. During a third round match in which he was trailing against Alexander Mronz
, Tarango became infuriated with umpire Bruno Rebeuh, who had ruled against Tarango several times, and refused to continue. During the match, when preparing to serve, the crowd heckled Tarango and he responded "shut up". Rebeuh immediately gave a code violation to Tarango for this claiming "shut up" was an audible obscenity. Tarango protested this and called for the tournament referee calling for Rebeuh to be removed. No relief was given to Tarango and he was instructed to continue to play. He then accused Rebeuh of being "One of the most corrupt officials in the game" - to this Rebeuh gave Tarango another code violation, this time for unsportsmanlike conduct. Tarango took umbrage, packed up his rackets and stormed off the court. To add to the controversy, Tarango's wife then slapped Rebeuh twice in the face.
Tarango was originally fined US$63,000 for the incident, and banned for the following 2 years. The ITF dropped all fines for Tarango and dropped suspension from 2 years to one event, the 1996 Wimbledon.
As a result of an incident involving Rebeuh in 1989, the former professional player Jimmy Arias signed an affidavit attesting to his opinion that Rebeuh was not always "completely unbiased".
Tarango retired from the main tour in 2003 and now devotes his time to coaching, broadcasting for BBC, ESPN, Tennis Channel, Fox Sports and DirecTV. He also hosts a Charity Event in La Jolla for the Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. Tarango is currently the Vice Chair for the AAC on the USOC (Governance Committee). He has been a member of the Davis Cup Committee for 6 years within the USTA. He still makes occasional appearances at professional events, including the 2008 USA F21 Futures event in Milwaukee. He also commentates for BBC Radio and in particular for their extended coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
In his 2009 autobiography, "Open", Andre Agassi claims that Tarango cheated in a juniors tournament to hand the eight-year-old Agassi his first ever competitive loss.
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player. He was a top ten doubles player and a French Open doubles runner up, but is mostly remembered for defaulting a match at Wimbledon and his wife assaulting the umpire once Tarango had left the court.
Career summary
Tarango turned professional in 1989, after completing his junior year at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
where he won two NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
team titles. During his career, he won 2 top-level professional singles titles and 14 doubles titles. His career-high world rankings were World No. 42 in singles and No. 10 in doubles. He was runner-up in the men's doubles at the 1999 French Open (partnering Goran Ivanišević
Goran Ivaniševic
Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
).
The most famous incident involving Tarango came at Wimbledon in 1995. During a third round match in which he was trailing against Alexander Mronz
Alexander Mronz
Alexander Mronz is a former tennis player from Germany, who turned professional in 1987.Mronz played right-handed, and won one doubles title in his career. Mronz reached his highest individual ranking on the ATP Tour on April 8, 1991, when he became the World Number 73.Mronz dated Steffi Graf in...
, Tarango became infuriated with umpire Bruno Rebeuh, who had ruled against Tarango several times, and refused to continue. During the match, when preparing to serve, the crowd heckled Tarango and he responded "shut up". Rebeuh immediately gave a code violation to Tarango for this claiming "shut up" was an audible obscenity. Tarango protested this and called for the tournament referee calling for Rebeuh to be removed. No relief was given to Tarango and he was instructed to continue to play. He then accused Rebeuh of being "One of the most corrupt officials in the game" - to this Rebeuh gave Tarango another code violation, this time for unsportsmanlike conduct. Tarango took umbrage, packed up his rackets and stormed off the court. To add to the controversy, Tarango's wife then slapped Rebeuh twice in the face.
Tarango was originally fined US$63,000 for the incident, and banned for the following 2 years. The ITF dropped all fines for Tarango and dropped suspension from 2 years to one event, the 1996 Wimbledon.
As a result of an incident involving Rebeuh in 1989, the former professional player Jimmy Arias signed an affidavit attesting to his opinion that Rebeuh was not always "completely unbiased".
Tarango retired from the main tour in 2003 and now devotes his time to coaching, broadcasting for BBC, ESPN, Tennis Channel, Fox Sports and DirecTV. He also hosts a Charity Event in La Jolla for the Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. Tarango is currently the Vice Chair for the AAC on the USOC (Governance Committee). He has been a member of the Davis Cup Committee for 6 years within the USTA. He still makes occasional appearances at professional events, including the 2008 USA F21 Futures event in Milwaukee. He also commentates for BBC Radio and in particular for their extended coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
In his 2009 autobiography, "Open", Andre Agassi claims that Tarango cheated in a juniors tournament to hand the eight-year-old Agassi his first ever competitive loss.
Doubles titles (14)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score |
| 1. | 1 May 1995 | Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
Hard |  Sébastien LareauSébastien Lareau Sébastien Lareau is a former touring professional tennis player.-As a singles player:The right-handed Lareau achieved a career best singles ranking of World No. 76 in April 1995. In January 1999 he reached a career second best ranking of World No. 78. He had a career ATP tour event win-loss... |
 Joshua EagleJoshua Eagle Joshua Eagle is a former professional male tennis player from Australia. He was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and now lives in Noosa, Queensland. He stands at 1.82 m and weighs 90 kg, and is classified as a doubles specialist. Eagle has won five ATP doubles titles.Eagles is married to... Andrew FlorentAndrew Florent Andrew Florent , is a former professional tennis player from Australia.Florent enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 3 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 10 times. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 2. | 24 July 1995 | Washington D.C. Legg Mason Tennis Classic The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is an annual late-summer men's tennis tournament played in Washington, D.C. as part of the ATP Tour. It was first held in 1969. It was later known as the Sovran Bank Classic. . Originally an event of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour and part of the Grand Prix Championship... , United States |
Hard |  Olivier DelaîtreOlivier Delaître Olivier Delaître is a former tennis player from France. He won 15 doubles titles during a fourteen year career becoming the world's 3rd ranked doubles player on July 12, 1999.... |
 Petr KordaPetr Korda Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first... Cyril SukCyril Suk Cyril Suk III is a former professional tennis player. A doubles specialist, Suk has won one Grand Slam men's doubles title and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles during his career.... |
4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 3. | 18 September 1995 | Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
Clay |  Mark KeilMark Keil Mark Keil is a former professional tennis player from the United States and now tennis coach who won 5 ATP World Tour doubles tournaments and was runner up at 8 more.-Early life and college:... |
Cyril Suk Daniel Vacek Daniel Vacek Daniel Vacek is a former tennis player from Czechoslovakia and the Czechia who turned professional in 1990.Vacek represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the second round... |
6–4, 7–6 |
| 4. | 15 July 1996 | Bastad Swedish Open The SkiStar Swedish Open is an ATP World Tour 250 series tennis tournament on the ATP Tour held in Båstad, Sweden in July each year.The Collector Swedish Open Women is a tennis tournament held in Båstad, Sweden... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Clay |  David EkerotDavid Ekerot David Ekerot is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 2 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 52 in 1997.-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:... |
Joshua Eagle Joshua Eagle Joshua Eagle is a former professional male tennis player from Australia. He was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and now lives in Noosa, Queensland. He stands at 1.82 m and weighs 90 kg, and is classified as a doubles specialist. Eagle has won five ATP doubles titles.Eagles is married to... Peter NyborgPeter Nyborg Peter Nyborg , is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 5 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 38 in 1996.-Wins :-Runner-ups :-External links:... |
6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 5. | 16 September 1996 | Bucharest, Romania | Clay | David Ekerot |
 David AdamsDavid Adams (tennis) David Adams is a former professional tennis player from South Africa. He turned pro in 1989. During his career he won 19 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 33 times, including at the French Open in 1992. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No...  Menno OostingMenno Oosting Menno Oosting was a professional tennis player from the Netherlands, who won seven ATP Tour doubles titles and reached 11 finals in his career.... |
7–6, 7–6 |
| 6. | 16 November 1998 | Moscow Kremlin Cup The Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour... , Russia |
Carpet | Jared Palmer Jared Palmer Jared Eiseley Palmer is a professional tennis player who won 28 professional doubles titles and one singles title in his career on the ATP Tour. He also won four double titles on the challenger's circuit... |
 Yevgeny KafelnikovYevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... Daniel Vacek |
6–4, 6–7, 6–2 |
| 7. | 18 January 1999 | Auckland Heineken Open (tennis) The Heineken Open is a tennis tournament on the ATP International Series played in Auckland, New Zealand. It was also a combined mens and womens tournament until 1981.-History:... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
Hard | Daniel Vacek Daniel Vacek Daniel Vacek is a former tennis player from Czechoslovakia and the Czechia who turned professional in 1990.Vacek represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the second round... |
Jiří Novák Jirí Novák Jiří Novák is a former Czech tennis player, who was born in Zlín, Czechoslovakia but resides nowadays in Monte Carlo, Monaco.-Career:Novák turned professional in 1993 and won 7 singles and 18 doubles titles during his career, winning $7,614,063 in prize money. For six years, he was the... David RiklDavid Rikl David Rikl is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. The left-handed Rikl turned professional in 1989. The Czech's success came mostly in doubles, having been a runner-up at the 2004 US Open and 2001 Wimbledon Championships. However, Rikl did achieve a top-100 singles... |
7–5, 7–5 |
| 8. | 15 February 1999 | St. Petersburg St. Petersburg Open The St. Petersburg Open is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. It has been held annually at the Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex in St. Petersburg, Russia,... , Russia |
Carpet | Daniel Vacek |
Menno Oosting  Andrei PavelAndrei Pavel Andrei Pavel is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Romania. He is currently coaching former world No. 1 and the current world No. 15 of the WTA, Jelena Janković.-Career:... |
3–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
| 9. | 19 April 1999 | Tokyo Japan Open Tennis Championships The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions... , Japan |
Hard | Daniel Vacek |
 Wayne BlackWayne Black Wayne Hamilton Black is a former professional male tennis player from Zimbabwe.Black is the son of Don and Velia Black and the brother of Cara Black and Byron Black, also professional tennis players. He attended the University of Southern California and was an All-American in singles and doubles... Brian MacPhieBrian MacPhie Brian MacPhie , is a former professional tennis player from the United States.MacPhie enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 7 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 22 in 2002.-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:... |
4–3, RET. |
| 10. | 12 July 1999 | Bastad, Sweden | Clay | David Adams David Adams (tennis) David Adams is a former professional tennis player from South Africa. He turned pro in 1989. During his career he won 19 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 33 times, including at the French Open in 1992. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No... |
Nicklas Kulti Nicklas Kulti Nicklas Kulti is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.Kulti was ranked the World No. 1 junior tennis player in 1989 after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon junior titles, and finishing runner-up at the US Open.In 1990, Kulti won his first top-level singles title at Adelaide... Mikael Tillström |
7–6(6), 6–4 |
| 11. | 20 September 1999 | Bournemouth Brighton International The Brighton International was a tennis tournament held in Brighton, UK. It was a WTA Tour event from 1978-1995 and an ATP Tour event from 1996-2000, upon the discontinuation of the women's tournament. The women's event was held in October.... , England |
Clay | David Adams |
 Michael KohlmannMichael Kohlmann Michael Kohlmann is a professional tennis player from Germany. Primarily a doubles specialist, he has won five ATP Tour doubles titles in his career. On 5 March 2007, he reached his highest doubles ranking of No... Nicklas Kulti |
6–3, 6–7(5), 7–6(5) |
| 12. | 4 October 1999 | Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea... , France |
Hard | Olivier Delaître |
David Adams John-Laffnie de Jager John-Laffnie de Jager John-Laffnie de Jager is a South African former tour professional tennis player. A doubles specialist, de Jager reached the semi-finals for three different grand slam tournaments three times in three different years partnering three different fellow South African players... |
6–3, 7–6(2), 6–4 |
| 13. | 20 November 2000 | Brighton Brighton Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain... , England |
Hard | Michael Hill Michael Hill (tennis) Michael Robert Hill is a former tennis player from Australia who turned professional in 1997 and retired in 2005. He was primarily a doubles specialist, achieving a career-high doubles ranking of World Number 18, reached on 30 July 2001.-College:Hill played three years at University of... |
Paul Goldstein Jim Thomas Jim Thomas (tennis) Jim Thomas is a professional American tennis player. His highest ATP singles ranking was World No. 288, which he reached on November 2, 1998. His career high in doubles was at 29 set at August 21, 2006.... |
6–3, 7–5 |
| 14. | 16 April 2001 | Casablanca Grand Prix Hassan II The Grand Prix Hassan II is an annual tennis tournament on the ATP Tour and is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series. The event is held annually at the Complexe Al Amal in Casablanca, Morocco and is played on clay courts. Between 1986 and 1989 it was part of the Challenger... , Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
Clay | Michael Hill |
 Pablo AlbanoPablo Albano Pablo Albano , is a former professional tennis player from Argentina.Albano enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 9 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 25 in 1997.-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:... David MacphersonDavid Macpherson (tennis) ----David Macpherson is a former professional male tennis player on the ATP tour.A product of player and coach, Tony Roche's junior tennis academy, he played lefthanded and turned professional in 1985. As a junior player Macpherson was one of Australia's top prospects in his peer group, reaching... |
7–6(2), 6–3 |
Doubles finalist (12)
- 1994 - St. Poelten
- 1997 - Hong Kong
- 1998 - Auckland, Los Angeles
- 1999 - French Open
- 2000 - Auckland, Tokyo
- 2001 - MoscowKremlin CupThe Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
, MadridMadrid MastersThere are two sporting events named the Madrid Masters:*Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open — a men's and women's tennis tournament*Madrid Masters...
, GstaadAllianz Suisse Open GstaadThe Swiss Open is a tennis tournament held in Gstaad, Switzerland. Held since 1915, the tournament is played on outdoor clay courts...
, Marseille, Stuttgart