Al Parker (tennis)
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Claxton, Georgia |
| Born | December 22, 1968 Savannah, Georgia |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Turned pro | 1991 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Prize money | $32,734 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 1–10 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 261 (August 10, 1987) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| US Open | 1R (1986, 1987) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 2–7 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 307 (February 1, 1993) |
Middleton Albert "Al" Parker (born December 22, 1968) is a former professional tennis player from the United States.[1]
Early life
[edit]Parker attended Pinewood Christian Academy, where his tennis talents were recognized during middle school.[2]
Career
[edit]Juniors
[edit]Parker won 25 USTA titles during his junior career.[3] He made the boys' quarterfinals at the 1985 US Open and was runner-up to Javier Sánchez in the 1986 Orange Bowl (18s).[4]
Pro tour and college tennis
[edit]He twice appeared in the men's singles draw of the US Open, in 1986, when he lost in the opening round to 13th seed Anders Järryd and 1987, when he lost a four set first round match to Tarik Benhabiles.[3] He was a silver medalist at the 1987 Pan American Games and was a finalist at a Raleigh Challenger tournament in the same year.[3]
Parker played collegiate tennis at the University of Georgia and reached the NCAA Division One singles semifinals in 1988. He was named the Academic All-American of the Year in 1990-91.[5]
In the early 1990s he played professionally but was constantly hampered by injuries.[6]
After his career, he earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ ITF Pro Circuit Profile
- ^ Chapin, Kim (March 21, 1982). "is Al Parker Bjorn again?". Atlanta Weekly. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c ATP World Tour Profile
- ^ ITF Junior Profile
- ^ Calhoun Times, "Parker Named All-American", October 8, 1991, p. 2
- ^ Tennis Magazine, April. 2001.
- ^ "Al Parker: A Most Amazing and Courageous Athlete".
- 1968 births
- Living people
- American male tennis players
- Tennis players from Georgia (U.S. state)
- Georgia Bulldogs men's tennis players
- Sportspeople from Savannah, Georgia
- People from Claxton, Georgia
- Tennis players at the 1987 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in tennis
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- Harvard Business School alumni