This feature originally appeared in the Winter edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to calbearbackers@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.
By Dean Caparaz ’90, Cal Athletic Communications
Raquel Kops-Jones produced perhaps her best year as a professional tennis player in 2014. But despite her run of success on the court, the California alumna is close to hanging up her racket.
Following a stellar collegiate career with the Golden Bears, which included a No. 1 national singles ranking in 2004, Kops-Jones struck out on the pro circuit. After nearly 10 years on the road, she competed for the first time in the year-ending WTA Finals tournament this past October with doubles partner Abigail Spears. The duo reached the semifinals in Singapore before falling to the eventual champions.
It was a banner season for the pair, which captured titles in Cincinnati (Western & Southern Open) and England (Aegon Classic), reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and advanced to the third round at Wimbledon.
Of the Australian Open, Kops-Jones said, “It was just a really good way to start off the year, and it was my first time getting that far in a Grand Slam. Making the semis was a huge accomplishment. The tournament in Cincinnati was our biggest win ever in a premier tournament. We played well, had some tight matches and beat a couple teams we hadn’t beaten before. That was something I was really proud of.”
Winning is nothing new to Kops-Jones. With partner Christine Fusano, she won the 2003 NCAA doubles championship and the 2002 and ’03 Pac-10 doubles crowns. She was also the 2004 Pac-10 singles champ and the 2004 Pac-10 Athlete of the Year,
“Raquel is just such a great role model for the current student-athletes on the Cal women’s tennis team,” Cal coach Amanda Augustus said. “When she was here as a student athlete, she was the No. 1 player in the country, really successful in the classroom and a leader on the team. She started competing here (in 2000) just after I finished and really carried on the legacy of winning an NCAA championship and leading her team.
“A lot of the lessons she learned here at Cal as a student-athlete she carried on to the pro tour. We’re just so proud of her because I think that dedication and commitment to improvement have really served her well.”
After graduating with a degree in American studies in 2004, Kops-Jones played plenty of singles in her first four years as a pro. But she focused less on singles when she began winning more matches – and more money – in doubles.
Now, after a decade of playing professionally, Kops-Jones sees the end of her career approaching.
“I think about it quite often,” she said. “We’d really like to qualify for and play in the Olympics in 2016, and we’d have to make the Fed Cup team in order for that to happen. But I think if somehow that’s not an option, next year is probably my last year.”
Contributing factors to impending retirement include the grind of travel and possibly starting a family. Kops-Jones recently became engaged to former Cal track & field star Toby Atawo. Coaching in college may be Kops-Jones’ next career.
“College coaching has so many different aspects to it – the administrative side, coaching and on-court stuff,” she said. “That mix attracts me. For a while I was interested in physical therapy, but I would have to go back to school for a few years for that. Working and having a family at the same time, I’d have to consider all that.”
