Peanut Louie Harper
Quick Facts
Biography
Mareen Louie Harper (née Louie; born August 15, 1960), better known by her nickname Peanut, is a retired American female tennis player, born in San Francisco, California to Ron and Alice Louie. Her elder sister, Marcie, also played on the WTA Tour, while her sisters Cici and Marisa, and brother Ronnie, all played at the University of San Francisco. She, along with her siblings, trained on the tennis courts of Golden Gate Park. She was given the nickname "Peanut" by her dad because she was the youngest of the five children.
Louie Harper won 14 junior national titles and was the top ranked 16-and-under tennis player in the United States in 1976. She reached the finals of the Wimbledon junior tournament in 1977 and the semifinals in 1978.
She made her professional debut in 1976, and that same year also played the US Open, where she lost in the first round. In her 19-year career, she won four singles title and reached her highest ranking of No. 19 in 1985. Her best results at the Grand Slams was the third round, which she achieved several times. Among her best wins were victories over Gabriela Sabatini and Zina Garrison. She retired in 1992.
She married her husband, Tim Harper, in 1986, and thereafter competed under the name Peanut Louie Harper.
Since retiring from tennis, Louie Harper has started a graphic design firm based in San Francisco, ITP Design, and the organisation Harper For Kids with her husband, which aims to teach children about important life skills. She also co-authored the book Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success with basketball coach John Wooden. She was inducted into the USTA Northern California Hall of Fame in 2000, and the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame in 2010.
She lives in Cow Hollow, San Francisco, with her husband and two children: Casey and Jared.
Career finals
Singles (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 21 December 1980 | Tucson Open, USA | Carpet (i) | Tracy Austin | 2–6, 0–6 |
Winner | 2. | 29 April 1984 | Durban, South Africa | Hard | Rene Uys | 6–1, 6–4 |
Winner | 3. | 20 January 1985 | Virginia Slims of Denver, USA | Carpet (i) | Zina Garrison | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |