Simone Jardim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Simone with her former mixed doubles partner, Ben Johns | |
| Country (sports) | Brazil, United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Naples, Florida |
| Born | November 7, 1979 Santa Maria, Brazil |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Turned pro | 2015 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| College | Fresno State University |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No.1 |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| US Open | W 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Doubles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| US Open | W 2017, 2018, 2023 |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | W 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 |
Simone Jardim (pronounced Si-MO-nee zhar-ZHING; born November 7, 1979) is a Brazilian-American professional pickleball player. Jardim was ranked the number one woman player in the world from 2016 to 2020. She won the women's singles division of the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships four consecutive years and is a two-time triple crown winner of the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, winning in singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles in 2017 and 2018. For a time, Jardim held the record for the most women's Pro Pickleball Association titles with 32. Jardim is also a former All-American collegiate tennis player and was the head tennis coach at Michigan State University from 2009 to 2016. She is considered by many to be the original, greatest of all time, female player, in the sport of pickleball. In 2024, she was inducted into the [1] Pickleball Hall of Fame.
Jardim was born and raised in Santa Maria, Brazil.[2] She moved to the United States at 18 years of age to play tennis for Auburn University.[3] After two years, she transferred to Fresno State University where she was a two-time All-American in women's doubles tennis.[3] In 2003, she graduated from Fresno State with a BA degree in Mass Communication and Journalism.[4]
Tennis career
After college, Jardim worked for three years as an assistant tennis coach at Fresno State University during which time the team had a 58–20 record, won three WAC conference championships and finished her third year ranked at number 20 in the nation.[4] In 2008, Jardim became the assistant coach for the College of William & Mary tennis team and was named interim head coach at the end of the season.[4] In 2009, she became the head tennis coach at Michigan State University and coached for 8 seasons.[4] During her tenure, the MSU team achieved two of its three most successful seasons: with records of 17–9 in 2014 and 16–9 in 2015.[5] In 2016, Jardim resigned as head coach in order to relocate with her family to Florida.[5]