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 US Open women's singles four consecutive times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) and is a two-time triple crown winner of the US Open Pickleball championships, winning in singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles in 2017 and 2018. As of 2021, Jardim holds the record for most women's Pro Pickleball Association titles with 32. Jardim is a former All-American collegiate tennis player and was the head tennis coach at Michigan State University from 2009 to 2016.
 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 |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | W 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 |
Early life edit
Jardim was born and raised in Santa Maria, Brazil.[1] She moved to the United States at 18 years of age to play tennis for Auburn University.[2] After two years, she transferred to Fresno State University where she was a two-time All-American in women's doubles tennis.[2] In 2003, she graduated from Fresno State with a BA degree in Mass Communication and Journalism.[3]
Tennis career edit
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.[3] 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.[3] In 2009, she became the head tennis coach at Michigan State University and coached for 8 seasons.[3] 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.[4] In 2016, Jardim resigned as head coach in order to relocate with her family to Florida.[4]
Pickleball career edit
Jardim became a professional pickleball player in 2015 and took up the profession full-time in 2016 after moving to Florida.[1] In 2016, Jardim won her first US Open pickleball championship in women's singles.[5] The following year she earned the US Open triple crown with titles in singles, doubles (with Corrine Carr) and mixed doubles (with Oliver Strecker). She repeated the US Open triple crown in 2018, winning the singles title against her former student Lucy Kovalova and earning victories in doubles with Corrine Carr and mixed doubles with Kyle Yates.[5] At the 2019 US Open championships, Jardim again won the singles title (against Irene Tereschenko) and mixed doubles with Kyle Yates, but lost the women's doubles title (with Corrine Carr) in the finals against Lucy Kovalova and Irene Tereschenko.
In 2021, Jardim reduced her playing time by stepping away from women's singles. In the 2021 US Open, she and playing partner, Lucy Kovalova, were runner-up in women's doubles to the team of Catherine Parenteau and Callie Smith; she and playing partner, Ben Johns, won the mixed doubles title. As of 2021, she has the most career PPA titles among women players with 32[1] and was ranked No. 1 in the world in women's doubles (with playing partner Lucy Kovalova) and mixed doubles (with Ben Johns) by the Pro Pickleball Association (PPA).[6]
Jardim is co-founder and co-director of Peak Performance Pickleball Academy in Bonita Springs, Florida.[7] She has sponsor endorsements with JOOLA, Jigsaw Health and Nike.[8]
Personal life edit
Jardim lives in Naples, Florida.[1] She was married to Chad Edwards with whom she has two children.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Meet Simone Jardim". Professional Pickleball Association. 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ a b "Players to Watch – Simone Jardim". USA Pickleball. 2019-10-25. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ a b c d e "Simone Jardim, head coach". Michigan State University. 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ a b "Simone Jardim Resigns as Spartan Women's Tennis Coach". Michigan State University. May 11, 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ a b Fisher, Adam (April 23, 2018). "Naples' Jardim wins title on opening day of U.S. Open Pickleball Championships". Naples Daily News.
- ^ "Player Rankings". Pro Pickleball Association. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ Fisher, Adam (April 16, 2021). "U.S. Open Pickleball returns to Naples bigger than ever after COVID-19 pandemic hiatus". Naples Daily News.
- ^ Lytle, Jeff (Mar 9, 2021). "MEET AN ELITE: SIMONE JARDIM - Best, most-decorated woman pickleball player in U.S." Toti.com. Southwest Florida. Retrieved 2021-09-23.