American tennis player
Erica Kathleen "Kathy" Horvath (born August 25, 1965) is an American former professional tennis player. She is best known for upsetting world No. 1 Martina Navratilova in the fourth round of the 1983 French Open, delivering her only defeat for the season.
Horvath was the youngest player to play in the US Open in 1979 at 14 years and five days — this record still stands. She was the youngest player to win the U.S. National 16 and under in 1979.[1] She also is the only player to ever win all four age groups in the U.S. Girls Clay Courts in all consecutive years.
She played on the WTA Tour from 1981 to 1989, winning six singles titles and reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 10 in 1984.[2] [1] She reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in 1983 and 1984. She retired with a 176–154 singles record.[3]
Horvath was the only player to defeat Martina Navratilova in the 1983 season (at the French Open), winning in the fourth round in three sets.[1] Navratilova's coaches (Renee Richards and Nancy Lieberman) argued in the stands over strategy, something Navratilova noticed during the match.[4]
Horvath had career victories over Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Manuela Maleeva, Gabriela Sabatini, Dianne Fromholtz, Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, Mary Joe Fernández, Betty Stöve, and Sylvia Hanika. She was a member of the 1984 United States Fed Cup team. Horvath played in the 1984 Olympics when tennis was reintroduced as a demonstration sport and was the first seed. She was coached by Harry Hopman and Nick Bollettieri.
After her tennis career, she got her BS and MBA at the Wharton School of Business and then worked on Wall Street until 2003.
| Winner — Legend
|
| Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
|
| WTA Tour Championships (0–0)
|
| Virginia Slims, Avon, other (6–3)
|
|
| Finals by surface
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| Hard (0–0)
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| Grass (0–0)
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| Clay (2–3)
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| Carpet (4–0)
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|
| Result
|
W/L
|
Date
|
Tournament
|
Surface
|
Opponent
|
Score
|
| Win
|
1.
|
Jan 1981
|
Montreal, Canada
|
Carpet (i)
|
United States Candy Reynolds
|
6–4, 7–6
|
| Win
|
2.
|
Mar 1983
|
Nashville, US
|
Carpet (i)
|
Czechoslovakia Marcela Skuherská
|
6–4, 6–3
|
| Loss
|
1.
|
May 1983
|
Berlin, West Germany
|
Clay
|
United States Chris Evert-Lloyd
|
4–6, 6–7(1–7)
|
| Win
|
3.
|
Nov 1983
|
Honolulu, US
|
Carpet
|
Canada Carling Bassett
|
4–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–1)
|
| Loss
|
2.
|
Jan 1984
|
Marco Island, US
|
Clay
|
United States Bonnie Gadusek
|
6–3, 0–6, 4–6
|
| Loss
|
3.
|
May 1984
|
Berlin, West Germany
|
Clay
|
West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
|
6–7(8–10), 1–6
|
| Win
|
4.
|
Mar 1985
|
Indianapolis, US
|
Carpet (i)
|
United States Elise Burgin
|
6–2, 6–4
|
| Win
|
5.
|
Mar 1985
|
Palm Beach Gardens, US
|
Clay
|
Switzerland Petra Jauch-Delhees
|
3–6, 6–3, 6–3
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| Win
|
6.
|
Jul 1987
|
Knokke, Belgium
|
Clay
|
West Germany Bettina Bunge
|
6–1, 7–6(7–5)
|
| Winner — Legend
|
| Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
|
| WTA Tour Championships (0–0)
|
| Virginia Slims (3–6)
|
|
| Finals by surface
|
| Hard (0–0)
|
| Grass (0–0)
|
| Clay (2–6)
|
| Carpet (1–0)
|
|
| Result
|
W/L
|
Date
|
Tournament
|
Surface
|
Partner
|
Opponents
|
Score
|
| Win
|
1.
|
May 1982
|
Perugia, Italy
|
Clay
|
South Africa Yvonne Vermaak
|
United States Billie Jean King
South Africa Ilana Kloss
|
2–6, 6–4, 7–6
|
| Win
|
2.
|
Aug 1983
|
Indianapolis, US
|
Clay
|
Romania Virginia Ruzici
|
United States Gigi Fernández
United States Beth Herr
|
4–6, 7–6, 6–2
|
| Loss
|
1.
|
May 1984
|
Berlin, West Germany
|
Clay
|
Romania Virginia Ruzici
|
United Kingdom Anne Hobbs
United States Candy Reynolds
|
3–6, 6–4, 6–7(11–13)
|
| Loss
|
2.
|
May 1984
|
Perugia, Italy
|
Clay
|
Romania Virginia Ruzici
|
Czechoslovakia Iva Budařová
Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
|
6–7(5–7), 6–1, 4–6
|
| Win
|
3.
|
Mar 1985
|
Indianapolis, US
|
Carpet (i)
|
United States Elise Burgin
|
South Africa Jennifer Mundel
United States Molly Van Nostrand
|
6–4, 6–1
|
| Loss
|
3.
|
Apr 1985
|
Orlando, US
|
Clay
|
United States Elise Burgin
|
United States Martina Navratilova
United States Pam Shriver
|
3–6, 1–6
|
| Loss
|
4.
|
May 1987
|
Strasbourg, France
|
Clay
|
Netherlands Marcella Mesker
|
Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná
France Catherine Suire
|
0–6, 2–6
|
| Loss
|
5.
|
Jul 1987
|
Knokke, Belgium
|
Clay
|
Netherlands Marcella Mesker
|
West Germany Bettina Bunge
Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva
|
6–4, 4–6, 4–6
|
| Loss
|
6.
|
Oct 1987
|
Athens, Greece
|
Clay
|
South Africa Dinky Van Rensburg
|
West Germany Andrea Betzner
Austria Judith Wiesner
|
4–6, 6–7(0–7)
|
Key
W
F
SF
QF
#R
RR
Q#
DNQ
A
NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
| Sporting positions
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| Preceded by
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Orange Bowl Girls' Singles Champion
Category: 18 and under
1979
|
Succeeded by
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