Jill Craybas
Jill Craybas is an American former professional tennis player who competed on the WTA Tour for 18 years from 1996 to 2013, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 39 in April 2006 and securing one WTA singles title at the 2002 Japan Open.[1][2][3] Born on July 4, 1974, in Providence, Rhode Island, Craybas stands at 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 123 pounds during her playing career.[1] She honed her skills at the University of Florida, where she won the NCAA singles championship in 1996 and earned two-time All-American honors before turning professional that same year.[4] Over her career, she amassed a singles win-loss record of 434–452 and earned $2,552,154 in prize money, while also capturing five WTA doubles titles.[1] Craybas was renowned for her longevity and consistency in Grand Slam tournaments, appearing in 45 consecutive main draws from the 2000 US Open to the 2011 US Open—a streak that highlighted her resilience as one of the tour's enduring veterans.[5] Her best Grand Slam result was reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2005, where she notably upset then-world No. 4 Serena Williams in the third round, 6–3, 7–6(4), marking one of the biggest upsets in Williams' career.[6] She also advanced to the third round at the Australian Open in 2004, the fourth round at the US Open in 2006, and the second round multiple times at Roland Garros.[7] Additionally, Craybas represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 for her collegiate and professional accomplishments.[2][4] Craybas announced her retirement in September 2013 at age 39, following her final appearance at the US Open, reflecting on a career defined by perseverance despite her smaller stature and underdog status on the professional circuit. Since retiring, she has worked as a tennis commentator and founded a sustainable chocolate company, All-tru-ist, in 2019.[3][8]Early life and junior career
Early life
Jill Craybas was born on July 4, 1974, in Providence, Rhode Island.[9] She grew up in nearby East Greenwich as the youngest of three children born to parents Norbert and Camille Craybas, both of whom encouraged their children's involvement in sports.[2] Her siblings, brother Matt and sister Jody, were also athletic; Matt played college soccer, while Jody competed in college tennis.[10] Craybas first picked up a tennis racket at age 10, a gift from her parents that came with lessons at the Tennis Rhode Island West Bay club in Warwick.[2] This introduction sparked her passion for the sport, which quickly became a central part of her childhood amid a family environment that valued discipline and multi-sport participation.[2] She attended Lincoln School in Providence, graduating in 1992 after a standout high school tennis career.[2] There, she captured the 1989 Rhode Island state singles title and played a key role in securing two Division I team championships for the Lynx.[2] In her junior and senior years, Craybas shifted her focus toward regional and national junior tournaments, building the foundation for her future in competitive tennis.[2]Junior career
Jill Craybas began playing tennis at the age of 10, after her parents gifted her a racket and enrolled her in lessons at Tennis Rhode Island West Bay in Warwick.[2] She quickly rose to prominence in junior tennis circles in Rhode Island, where she was recognized for her early talent and dedication.[11] Attending Lincoln School in Providence, Craybas competed in high school tennis and achieved significant success at the state level. In 1989, she won the RIISL state singles championship, earning her a spot on the All-State team as the top player.[2] This victory highlighted her prowess in regional junior competitions, though detailed records of national-level junior tournaments are limited, with her ITF junior activity showing only a single win and loss on hard courts.[12]College career
Craybas began her collegiate tennis career at the University of Texas at Austin in 1992. During her freshman season in 1992–93, she compiled a 38–4 singles record despite missing time early due to a stress fracture, returning in mid-April to help the Longhorns secure their first NCAA team championship.[13][14] In her sophomore year of 1993–94, she contributed to Texas reaching the NCAA semifinals, losing 5–2 to Stanford after defeating Florida 6–0 in the quarterfinals—marking the second consecutive year Texas had eliminated the Gators from the tournament.[15] Following her sophomore year, Craybas transferred to the University of Florida in the fall of 1994. As a junior in 1994–95, she helped the Gators advance to the NCAA semifinals.[16] In her senior season of 1995–96, she led Florida to an undefeated 31–0 record and the NCAA team championship, becoming the only player in NCAA Division I history to win team titles at two different schools.[3][17] That year, she also captured the NCAA singles title, defeating Texas's Heather Wilhelm in the final. Her teammates Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas secured the doubles championship.[3][18] Over her two seasons at Florida, Craybas earned two Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors in 1995 and 1996, and she was recognized as the 1995–96 recipient of the Honda Sports Award for Tennis, honoring her as the nation's top female collegiate tennis player.[17][19] She finished her Gator career with a 124–18 singles record and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.[17][3]Professional career
Early professional years (1996–2000)
Craybas turned professional in 1996 shortly after winning the NCAA women's singles championship. Her Grand Slam debut occurred at the 1996 US Open, where she entered as a wildcard and lost in the first round to Alexandra Fusai, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5. This appearance marked the beginning of her efforts to establish herself on the professional circuit, though she recorded no year-end ranking that season. Following limited professional activity in 1997, Craybas returned to the tour in 1998, qualifying for the US Open main draw and advancing to the first round, where she fell to Miho Saeki, 6–1, 2–6, 6–3. She concluded the year ranked No. 151. In 1999, she made her Australian Open main draw debut after qualifying, but lost in the first round to No. 12 seed Anna Kournikova, 7–6(1), 7–5. At the US Open, she received a wildcard but was defeated in the opening round by Anne Kremer, 6–2, 6–2; she also attempted to qualify for Roland Garros and Wimbledon but exited in the first qualifying round at both. Her year-end ranking dropped slightly to No. 175. In 2000, Craybas qualified for the US Open main draw—beginning a streak of consecutive Grand Slam appearances that would last over a decade—and lost in the first round to Patty Schnyder, 5–7, 6–1, 6–3. She reached the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open and Wimbledon but did not advance further. These years saw Craybas primarily competing in qualifying events and lower-tier tournaments to build her ranking, ending 2000 at No. 150.Breakthrough and singles success (2001–2005)
Craybas began to establish herself on the WTA Tour in 2001, qualifying for the main draw of the French Open and advancing to the second round after defeating Sandra Kleinova 4–6, 6–1, 7–5 in the first round, before losing to Rachel McQuillan 4–6, 6–1, 10–8. This marked her first Grand Slam main-draw win and contributed to a year-end ranking of No. 98, reflecting steady progress from her early professional struggles.[20] Throughout the year, she compiled a 7-16 singles record, primarily competing in qualifying rounds and lower-tier events to build experience. Her breakthrough arrived in 2002 with a career-defining victory at the AIG Japan Open, where she captured her maiden WTA singles title by rallying past Silvija Talaja 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the final. En route, Craybas notched her first semifinal appearance, defeating second seed Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, showcasing improved resilience and baseline play on hard courts. The triumph elevated her ranking significantly, ending the year at No. 57 after a 21-16 win-loss record that included multiple quarterfinal showings in smaller tournaments. This success solidified her transition to consistent main-draw participation. By 2004, Craybas achieved her best Grand Slam result to date, reaching the third round of the Australian Open with victories over Rita Grande and Jelena Janković, before losing to Fabiola Zuluaga 7–6(7–5), 4–6, 6–2. Earlier that season, she advanced to the quarterfinals of the prestigious Miami Open as a qualifier, upsetting higher-ranked opponents before a 6-0, 6-1 defeat to Serena Williams. These performances helped her climb to a year-end No. 59, despite a 12-21 overall record marked by competitive showings in Tier II events. Craybas peaked in this era during the 2005 Wimbledon Championships, where she stunned world No. 7 Serena Williams 6-3, 7-6(4) in the third round—one of the tournament's biggest upsets—before falling to Venus Williams 6-0, 6-2 in the fourth round to reach her first major round of 16. The run, combined with quarterfinal appearances in Dubai and 's-Hertogenbosch, propelled her to a career-high year-end ranking of No. 47 after a 19-24 season. This period highlighted her grass-court prowess and ability to capitalize on opportunities against top players, setting the stage for further top-50 consistency.Doubles focus and peak rankings (2006–2010)
Following her peak in singles rankings, Craybas increasingly focused on doubles competitions from 2006 onward, partnering with various players to compete in WTA Tour events. In 2006, she reached her first notable doubles final of the period at the Acapulco tournament, teaming with Jelena Janković, but lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja 6–1, 6–2 in the championship match. This appearance marked an early shift toward doubles as her singles results began to decline, ending the year with a doubles ranking of No. 67. The year 2007 saw Craybas advance to the doubles final at the Bangalore Open with Natalie Grandin, where they were defeated by Ji Chunmei and Sun Shengnan 6–3, 6–2. Despite the runner-up finish, her doubles ranking slipped to No. 74 by year-end, reflecting a transitional phase in her career. In 2008, Craybas experienced a breakthrough in doubles, winning two WTA titles: the Istanbul Cup with Olga Govortsova (defeating Marina Erakovic and Polona Hercog 6–1, 6–2) and the Japan Open in Tokyo with Erakovic (overcoming Ayumi Morita and Aiko Nakamura 4–6, 6–3, 10–8). These victories propelled her to a career-high doubles ranking of No. 41 on June 23, 2008, and she finished the year at No. 45. Craybas continued her doubles emphasis in 2009 and 2010, though with mixed results. She reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells in 2009 partnering with Tamarine Tanasugarn but did not advance to later stages in major finals that year, ending ranked No. 91. In 2010, she claimed the Palermo Ladies Open title with Julia Görges, defeating Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta 6–4, 6–1, which helped her recover to a year-end ranking of No. 67. Throughout this period, her doubles play provided stability and highlighted her versatility as a veteran competitor on the tour.Later career and retirement (2011–2013)
In 2011, at age 37, Craybas continued to compete on the WTA Tour primarily in doubles, where she found greater success amid declining singles results. She recorded an 18–32 win-loss record in singles, mostly exiting in the early rounds or qualifiers of tournaments, with her best performance a second-round appearance at the PTT Pattaya Open. In doubles, she partnered with Sofia Arvidsson to win the title at the Open GDF Suez Région Limousin in Limoges, France (an ITF Women's Circuit event), defeating Caroline Garcia and Aurélie Védy 6–4, 4–6, [10–7] in the final. Her year-end singles ranking fell to No. 149. Craybas's 2012 season followed a similar pattern, with a 19–31 singles record and no deep runs, as she often relied on wild cards or qualifiers to enter main draws. She reached the second round at events like the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells but struggled against higher-ranked opponents. Doubles remained her focus, and she teamed with Julia Görges to claim the Nürnberger Gastein Ladies title in Bad Gastein, Austria, overcoming Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Petra Martić 6–7(4), 6–4, 11–9 in a come-from-behind final victory. This success helped her end the year ranked No. 188 in singles and No. 83 in doubles. Entering 2013 at age 38, Craybas played a limited schedule, compiling a 16–21 singles record while competing in lower-tier events and qualifiers. In August, prior to the US Open, she announced her retirement from professional tennis, stating that the tournament would be her farewell after 17 years on tour. Granted a wildcard into the main draw, she faced Alison Riske in the first round and lost 6–3, 6–4, concluding her career as one of the oldest active players at 39 and the longest-tenured on the tour since turning pro in 1996. By retirement, Craybas had amassed over 400 singles wins and four WTA doubles titles.Notable achievements
Career highlights and records
Jill Craybas achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 39 on April 17, 2006, and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 41 in 2008.[1] She secured one WTA singles title at the 2002 Japan Open, defeating Silvija Talaja in the final, and won five WTA doubles titles throughout her career.[1] Her overall singles win-loss record on the WTA Tour stood at 434–452, complemented by career earnings of $2,552,154.[1] A standout moment came at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships, where Craybas, ranked No. 85, upset world No. 7 Serena Williams in the third round with a 6–3, 7–6(4) victory, marking one of the largest upsets in Williams' career and propelling Craybas to her best Grand Slam result of a fourth-round appearance.[6] This performance highlighted her grass-court prowess, as her Grand Slam career best was reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon that year.[7] Across all majors, she compiled a 19–49 win-loss record, with additional third-round showings at the 2004 Australian Open.[7] Craybas demonstrated remarkable longevity, maintaining a top-100 singles ranking for 10 consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2012 and competing in 45 straight Grand Slam main draws from the 2000 US Open to the 2011 US Open.[11] She represented the United States in the Fed Cup five times, contributing to team efforts in ties against Austria (2004), Germany (2006), and Argentina (2009), among others.[21]Significant victories
Craybas secured her sole WTA Tour singles title at the 2002 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, where she staged a remarkable comeback in the final against Silvija Talaja, winning 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 after dropping the first four games of the match.[22] This victory marked her breakthrough on the main tour and propelled her into the top 50 rankings for the first time.[23] Her most celebrated singles achievement occurred at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships, where, ranked No. 85, she produced one of the tournament's biggest upsets by defeating world No. 7 Serena Williams in the third round, 6–3, 7–6(4).[6] The win, on the famously challenging Court 2, advanced Craybas to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, where she fell to Nathalie Dechy.[24] This performance highlighted her grass-court prowess and remains one of the standout underdog triumphs in Williams' career.[25] In doubles, Craybas captured five WTA titles over her career, often partnering with players from diverse nations to secure key wins on hard courts. Notable among these was her 2003 Hobart International victory with Li Na, her 2006 Bell Challenge win in Quebec City alongside Tamarine Tanasugarn, defeating the top-seeded pair of Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Meghann Shaughnessy 7–6(4), 6–4 in the final, and her 2008 successes in Quebec City with Julia Görges and the Istanbul Cup with Olga Govortsova, beating Marina Erakovic and Polona Hercog 6–1, 6–2 in the championship match.[26][27] Her final doubles triumphs came in 2011 Memphis with Govortsova.[9]Career statistics
WTA Tour finals
Jill Craybas reached two singles finals on the WTA Tour, winning one title, and reached 14 doubles finals, securing five titles.[1]Singles finals
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Oct 2002 | Tokyo (Japan Open) | Hard | Silvija Talaja (CRO) | 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | Feb 2008 | Pattaya City (Pattaya Women's Open) | Hard | Agnieszka Radwańska (POL) | 6–2, 1–6, 7–6(4) |
Doubles finals
Jill Craybas reached 14 doubles finals on the WTA Tour, winning five titles and finishing as runner-up nine times. Her doubles play was marked by partnerships with a variety of players, contributing to her career-high doubles ranking of No. 41 on June 23, 2008.[1] These achievements came alongside an overall WTA doubles record of 163–244.[29] Craybas's titles spanned different surfaces and tournament levels, highlighting her adaptability in the format. The following table lists her WTA doubles titles, with details on partners, opponents, and scores:| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jan 2004 | Hobart International, Australia | Hard | Jelena Kostanić Tošić (CRO) | María Sánchez Lorenzo (ESP) Shinobu Asagoe (JPN) | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 2. | May 2003 | Madrid Open, Spain | Clay | Liezel Huber (RSA) | Rita Grande (ITA) Angelique Widjaja (INA) | 6–4, 7–6(6) |
| 3. | Aug 2004 | Cincinnati Open, United States | Hard | Marlene Weingärtner (GER) | Emmanuelle Gagliardi (SUI) Anna-Lena Grönefeld (GER) | 7–5, 7–6(7–2) |
| 4. | May 2008 | Istanbul Cup, Turkey | Clay | Olga Govortsova (BLR) | Marina Erakovic (NZL) Polona Hercog (SLO) | 6–1, 6–2 |
| 5. | Jun 2012 | Bad Gastein, Austria | Clay | Julia Görges (GER) | Anna-Lena Grönefeld (GER) Petra Martić (CRO) | 6–7(4–7), 6–4, [11–9] |
Mixed doubles finals
Craybas competed in one mixed doubles final during her professional career, at the 2004 China Open in Beijing.[34] Partnering with American compatriot Justin Gimelstob, the pair advanced to the championship match but fell to Tripp Phillips and Emmanuelle Gagliardi, 6–1, 6–2.[34] This event, held from September 22 to 25, featured a mixed doubles draw as part of the Tier II tournament, though it was conducted as an exhibition without official WTA ranking points. Despite the straight-sets defeat, the final highlighted Craybas's versatility in partnering across formats, drawing on her doubles experience to reach the title match.[34]| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | Sep 2004 | China Open (Tier II) | Hard | Justin Gimelstob | Tripp Phillips Emmanuelle Gagliardi | 6–1, 6–2 |
Grand Slam performance timelines
Jill Craybas maintained a consistent presence in Grand Slam main draws throughout much of her professional career, qualifying for 45 consecutive tournaments from the 2000 US Open through the 2011 US Open, a streak that underscored her endurance and reliability on the tour.[35] In singles, she compiled a 19–49 win-loss record across all Slams, with her performances peaking during the mid-2000s when her ranking climbed to a career-high No. 39. Her standout achievement came at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships, where she reached the fourth round after defeating world No. 4 Serena Williams in the third round—a victory that remains one of the most notable upsets in the tournament's history.[7][6] At the Australian Open, Craybas's deepest run was to the third round in 2004, where she upset higher-ranked opponents before falling to Amélie Mauresmo; overall, she recorded 4 wins and 12 losses in Melbourne, typically advancing past the first round in her stronger hard-court years.[7] On the clay courts of Roland Garros, her results were more modest, with five second-round appearances—in 2001, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011—yielding a 5–11 record, as the surface played to her baseline game's strengths less effectively than grass or hard courts. Wimbledon offered her greatest success beyond the 2005 fourth round, with 6 wins across 11 appearances, often capitalizing on the grass to extend matches against top seeds. At the US Open, she notched four second-round showings (2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009) for a 4–15 tally, benefiting from home-crowd support in New York but rarely progressing deeper in the draw.[7] In doubles, Craybas partnered with various players, including Liezel Huber and Abigail Spears, achieving a career-high doubles ranking of No. 41 in 2008 amid her WTA title win that year. Her Grand Slam doubles results were generally first- or second-round exits, with her best performance a quarterfinal reach at the 2004 French Open alongside Marlene Weingärtner, where they upset Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Abigail Spears in the second round before defeating Daniela Hantuchová and Dinara Safina in the third round, only to fall to eventual runners-up Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Likhovtseva 6–2, 5–7, 7–5 in the quarters.[36][37] She also advanced to the third round at the 2007 Wimbledon alongside Laura Granville, defeating Vania King and Yuliana Fedak in the first round and Sun Tiantian and Yan Zi in the second before losing to Elena Dementieva and Flavia Pennetta 6–4, 6–4.[38] Craybas reached the second round of the Australian Open multiple times, including in 2006 with Alisa Kleybanova, where they were defeated by fourth seeds Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez 6–3, 6–2 after a first-round win. She also progressed to the second round there in 2007 (with Abigail Spears) and 2011 (with Chanelle Scheepers).[39] In US Open doubles, Craybas made several second-round appearances, notably in 2004 (with Jennifer Russell), 2005 (with Corina Morariu), 2006 (with Abigail Spears), and 2012 (with Julia Cohen), though she did not advance further in any of these.[7] These performances highlight Craybas' reliability in doubles during her 45 consecutive Grand Slam main-draw appearances from the 2000 US Open to the 2011 US Open, complementing her career-high doubles ranking of No. 41 achieved on June 23, 2008.[5][40]Singles
Jill Craybas competed professionally in singles on the WTA Tour from 1996 to 2013, achieving a career record of 434 wins and 452 losses.[41] She reached her highest singles ranking of No. 39 on April 17, 2006, and secured her sole WTA Tour singles title at the 2002 AIG Japan Open, defeating Silvija Talaja 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 in the final.[41][42] Her best Grand Slam result in singles was a round of 16 appearance at Wimbledon in 2005, where she notably upset fourth seed Serena Williams in the third round before losing to Venus Williams in the fourth.[7] Overall, Craybas's Grand Slam singles performance timeline is as follows:| Year | Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play |
| 2012 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play |
| 2011 | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R |
| 2010 | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R |
| 2009 | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R |
| 2008 | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
| 2007 | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R |
| 2006 | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R |
| 2005 | 1R | 1R | 4R | 2R |
| 2004 | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R |
| 2003 | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
| 2002 | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R |
| 2001 | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R |
| 2000 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |
| 1999 | 1R | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |
| 1998 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |
| 1997 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play |
| 1996 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |
Doubles
| Year | Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play |
| 2012 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | 2R |
| 2011 | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
| 2010 | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
| 2009 | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
| 2008 | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R |
| 2007 | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R |
| 2006 | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R |
| 2005 | 1R | 1R | 3R | 2R |
| 2004 | 1R | QF | 1R | 2R |
| 2003 | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
| 2002 | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
| 2001 | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R |
| 2000 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |
| 1999 | 1R | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |
| 1998 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |
| 1997 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play |
| 1996 | Did not play | Did not play | Did not play | 1R |