Enjoying great success, Joanne Faull reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the fourth round at Roland Garros in 1989.
Since the tournament moved to Melbourne Park in 1988, an astonishing success rate of – more than 50 Australian tennis players becoming Australian Open Champions in at least one event – has been established.
Very few players have won more than one event – but SA’s Joanne Faull is one of them.
In 1988, the young teenager from Kadina on the Yorke Peninsula, took out both the junior singles title and the junior doubles title.
Famous names such as Victoria Azarenka, Sue Barker and Anne Minter have also won the girls’ singles at the Australian Open.
And to top it off, the country kid reached the second round of the women’s singles in 1988, having gained entry by a wildcard.
At national level, there was excitement and optimism about Joanne Faull’s potential. She wore the tag of the ‘next big thing’ and was equally proficient on grass and hard court.
Enjoying great success, she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the fourth round at Roland Garros in 1989, indisputably her finest year.
She was enjoying spectacular success at just 18 and ranked No. 61 in the world.
Throughout the late 80s and early 90s, Joanne Faull won ATP tournaments: the Wellington Classic in NZ and the Taipei Championships, and was runner-up in Tokyo and Bayonne, France.
She also won doubles events from the Gold Coast to Perth, partnered with Australian players, Rachel McQuillan or Rennae Stubbs.
A back injury began to limit her game and eventually shortened her career. Her final recorded event was in Mildura in 1993, when she was just 24 years of age.
Joanne Faull has been inducted into the Tennis SA Legends Club.
