Jill Hetherington Hultquist

Major Accomplishments

Ranked Top 20 in the WTA doubles pro rankings from 1988-1994.
First female to reach the semifinals and finals of a Grand Slam tournament.
Ranked as high as No. 64 in singles on the WTA Tour.
Member of the Canadian Fed Cup team for 13 consecutive years.
Became an All-American during her college career at the University of Florida.
Becoming the head coach of the women’s tennis team at the University of Washington.

Biography

Jill Hetherington Hultquist attended the University of Florida where she played for the Gators’ tennis team from 1984-1987. She was recognized as an All-American for all four years of her university career. She was also inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in 1999.

She turned pro in 1987 and won 14 WTA Tour doubles titles. She was ranked as high as No. 6 in the world in doubles and No. 64 in the world for singles. Hetherington partnered with McCain on the WTA doubles circuit and the duo was able to pull off a big win against Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini in the semifinals at the 1988 US Open. She also advanced to the finals of the 1989 Australian Open and the mixed doubles final at the 1996 French Open.
Hetherington competed in the Olympic Games for Canada in 1984, 1988 and 1996. She was partnered with Patricia Hy-Boulais and the two advanced to the quarter-finals in Atlanta before falling to eventual bronze medalists Jana Novotna and Helen Sukova of Czech Republic.

In addition to being inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame, Hetherington achieved a number of awards and recognition during her career on the WTA Tour. She received the WTA Sportsmanship Award, the Tennis Canada Sportsmanship Award and in 1988 she was named Player of the Year in Canada.

She earned her bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Washington in 2000 and is currently the head women’s coach at the University of Washington. She now lives in Renton Washington with her husband Rich and their two children Jack and Maggie.