Mashona Washington

Education

Washington attended high school in Michigan, moved to Delray Beach, Florida in her sophomore year, graduating from Lake Worth Christian School, Boynton Beach, Florida in 1994, and moved to Houston, Texas, in 1997.

Career

Mashona"s career high singles ranking is northern 50 which she reached on November 8, 2004, and her career high doubles ranking is northern 55 which she reached on July 18, 2005.

Mashona retired from professional tennis on 2012, aged 36.

Early years

Tennis career

She turned professional in 1995. After a slow start to her professional career, Washington"s breakthrough year came in 2004 when she broke into the world"s top-100 for the first time and then finished the year ranked in the top-50.

She also came within a hair"s breadth of beating Maria Sharapova in the first round of the 2006 French Open. She served for the match at 5–2, but could not hold serve.

In 2005, she reached the third round at Wimbledon, where Elena Dementieva beat her 7-5 6-1.

She joined the Washington Kastles in 2008. Personal life

She is the younger sister of MaliVai Washington, who reached the men"s singles final at Wimbledon in 1996. Women's Tennis Association Finals.

Achievements

• As a junior player, Washington won the United States Indoor National 18s in 1992, and was a finalist at the United States National Hardcourt 16s and United States Indoor National 16s in 1991. She recorded her first win against a top-10 player when she defeated Maria Sharapova at New Haven, and reached her first top-level singles final in Tokyo where she lost to Sharapova. At 5–4 in the third set, she held match points before the then World Number.4 broke back and won the final set 7–5.

Membership

She is now a member of the Boston Lobsters since 2010.