Mary Carillo

Mary Carillo is a former professional tennis player and has been one of the most respected sports commentators for over four decades. Carillo joined the pro tennis circuit in 1977. She enjoyed her greatest success playing mixed doubles, including winning the 1977 French Open title playing with friend and tennis great John McEnroe, whom she had grown up with in Douglaston, NY. Carillo reached the No. 33 ranking by 1980, but persistent knee problems forced her to retire that same year. That may have been a fortuitous development, as she seemingly found her true calling soon after. Following the end of a brief but promising tennis career, Carillo went on to become one of the foremost sports journalists, blazing a trail for other women through a male-dominated field.